By Henry Helgeson, CEO, Merchant Warehouse
1. Look to Cyber Monday for the real opportunity. Consumers are getting comfortable with spending again and smart retailers will figure out how to take advantage of this. But it goes beyond Black Friday deals. The real opportunity is online; this is where small and mid-sized retailers can actually compete with major online outlets through a more targeted and effective focus on their customers. Because of this, watch for increased investments in omni-channel capabilities. This will provide retailers of any size with the deeper insights needed to ensure customers are getting the shopping experience they’re looking for regardless of how they shop.
2. Showrooming is here to stay. Advances in technology have made showrooming a permanent reality for retailers and as a result, it can’t be ignored any more. Despite the opportunities that e-commerce presents for retailers to compete with the larger players in the market, 93 percent of retail purchases are still made in-store. Making the right investments in mobile capabilities is one thing we can expect to see, especially since showrooming presents a new opportunity for retailers of any size to close a sale in-aisle. We’re also likely going to see stronger investments made in mobile POS. What better way to complete a sale in-store than to skip the check-out line?
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3. An enhanced focus on the customer means big changes for the customer experience. Through the various technology investments mentioned above – like omnichannel, mobile payments and mobile coupons/offers – retailers are getting smarter about ways to keep their valued customers. It all stems from having a better understanding of their customers’ shopping preferences, allowing retailers to deliver a better shopping experience from start to finish. This holiday season, consumers shopping primarily at Big Box retailers that have made these investments over the past year are likely going to feel the biggest shift in experience (for the better). This will encourage even more small and mid-sized retailers to roll out these capabilities, possibly even launching test phases this holiday season
