The retail industry was making slow-but-steady progress toward mobile becoming a dominant — if not the dominant — digital commerce mode. Experts warned that for this business model to work, however, retailers would need to provide a truly seamless omnichannel experience, complete with strong customer support. But until COVID-19 hit, most retailers felt that incremental changes in this direction would remain sufficient for meeting customer demands.
Then 2020 showed up and sent the retail industry playbook into overdrive. Ecommerce growth skyrocketed from the typical 2% – 3% per year to 32%. Retailers responded by adding curbside pickup, contactless payments and other BOPIS practices to meet consumer expectations. Simultaneously, consumers bypassed in-store experiences and ordered home delivery of food and other nonperishables from their favorite merchants online.
This acceleration of digital transformation for retail and consumer shopping came early, and these changes are likely here to stay — which means retailers must meet these new demands head-on by upgrading their customer experience (CX). Read on to learn four CX truths retailers must embrace post-pandemic, including the need to:
- Stay on message;
- Embrace text-based payments;
- Make the jump to video; and
- Maximize customer reviews.
