Store Systems 2015: Planning today to exceed customer expectations tomorrow

 

While the physical store is still a vital—perhaps the vital—arena for making, maintaining, and influencing positive shopper impressions, it now must compete with numerous other influences on the entire shopping experience. These influences will multiply and change by 2015, so when planning store systems strategy for the coming decade, retailers will need to keep a close eye on what the rising group of younger, digitally savvy customers want, need, and expect from their shopping experiences. These customers will be looking to shop how they want, where they want, when they want, while using the devices they want—including their own cell phones, PDAs or other emerging mobile technologies. Rethinking store systems with these “digital natives” in mind will put new demands on store systems, but it will also open up opportunities for more efficient in-store labor allocations through increased use of self-service technologies. Retailers who invest in advanced, flexible store systems will also gain new ways to reach shoppers at the point of decision, providing product expertise, in-stock locations or marketing offers that will enhance the shopping experience while increasing the retailer’s sales and profitability


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