The competition in the retail industry is on an all-time high right now, due to the competition coming from every direction. Customer taste, preference, buying pattern has changed, the impact of covid-19 can be still seen it has closed and opened the doors of opportunities for many. The competition in the retail industry is on an all-time high right now, due to the competition coming from every direction. Customer taste, preference, buying pattern has changed, the impact of covid-19 can be still seen it has closed and opened the doors of opportunities for many.
E-commerce has now become a priority for many people who never engaged to shop online. The pandemic has turned the industry upside down inviting a large number of technological innovations.
It is essential to consider where these technological innovations taking the industry by highlighting the digital trends that have guided us in 2021 and continue to show the path for us in the year to come.
With our experience in mobile app development services, website development and digital marketing services, we have made a list of important digital trends that will change the future of the retail sector in the coming 2022.
Digital Marketing
Since people nowadays are glued to handheld devices digital marketing has become essential for retailers connecting them with shoppers. Whether it is virtual storytelling, digital coupons, emails, or increased ads, organizations are leveling up their digital marketing skills.
Through omnichannel modern retailers provide a unified experience via the website, social media platforms, mobile applications and physical stores. Each channel provides its own sales opportunities and options for the customer to communicate with real-life customer service representatives in multiple ways.
Mobile Payment Applications and NFC
With tech companies already paving the way for screen-less society to enter a post-smartphone age, there are still many ways for retailers to obtain greater integration between personal devices and physical stores.
Since the beacon technology continues to become more and more affordable retailers are now creating personalized journeys, hitting customers with promotion notifications specified for them through Bluetooth as they move about a store.
Mobile payments are continuously growing because the payments can be made in person at the point of sale also known as remote payments, mobile proximity payments, P2P(Peer-to-peer) payments take place through mobile apps or browsers.
Proximity payments utilize NFC (Near field communication) technology and mobile wallets like Apple-pay, Google-wallet, Samsung-pay, etc. P2P space branded applications issued by banks and credit card firms along with third-party providers.
Omnichannel Retail
Earlier the concept “multichannel retail” was dominating in the retail sector encompassing the ability to make an online purchase and pick up items in store. Now that concept has morphed through modern technology into the omnichannel experience. Through omnichannel modern retailers provide a unified experience via the website, social media platforms, mobile applications and physical stores. Each channel provides its own sales opportunities and options for the customer to communicate with real-life customer service representatives in multiple ways.
Content Marketing and Social Media Can Mold Buying Behavior
Social media marketing greatly benefits retailers by maximizing exposure, loyal customers, followers, and traffic. It helps to generate leads with minimum marketing expense. The leading social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube already team up with commercial objectives, and their “buy buttons” ignite the impulse buying behavior of consumers. According to a survey, 61% of consumers review a product online before making a purchase. Millennials are highly motivated by and trust user-generated information. Therefore, retailers have begun to put reviews on their websites and mobile apps for marketing their products. Content marketing is an organic method of enhancing communication with customers. It consists of developing value add, providing relevant and consistent content across social media platforms, websites, and e-mailers. The valuable and effective content not only improves the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) performance of retailers’ websites. It also makes sure to improve brand visibility and customer engagement, ultimately playing a crucial role in buying trends.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence (AI) through machine learning (ML) contributes towards data deluge in the retail sector. As per Markets & Markets, AI is expected to be worth $16.6 billion by 2022 with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in advertising, media, finance, retail and medical.
AI strengthen retailer
- By accurately identifying important action areas within a group of possibilities.
- To forecast the future and plan for scenarios
- Having an enhanced capability to consumer and analyze data
Here are a few examples of the use of AI in the retail industry
- Amazon uses AI for product referrals that help them achieve a high degree of customer relevance with 35% of total sales.
- Amazon Go provides checkout-free shopping with the help of digital technologies. For Instance, self-driving cars: Sensor fusion, computer vision and deep learning. Amazon Go is a great example of Smart Shelves.
- The Netflix content recommendation engine is designed for hyper-specific categorization, directing the right content to a specific audience that will be interested in it. This results in increased viewership and lower churn. With their continued global expansion, Netflix has redesigned the technology behind their recommendation engine and remodeled it to shoot region-based preferences.
Smart Shelf Technology
This technology helps in sensing when inventory is depleted and sends a signal to be restocked/refilled. It allows retailers to anticipate demand and get informed immediately when an item/product goes out of stock. Warehouse and distributors get automated notifications for supplying instant replenishment. Smart shelves give retailers real-time insights into the popularity of items/products, helping them in making decisions about what and how much to stock.
VR (Virtual Reality)-AR (Augmented Reality) Making Its Way
Since the modern age is the age of technology and technology is constantly evolving. Technology is impacting every sector so the retail industry is no exception at all. Retailers who have the vision to transform their business with new technologies also have the capability to adapt quickly based on changing market trends. The future will be defined and ruled by technology AR, VR, AI, cloud infrastructure, big data with the help of these brands and organizations can:
- Respond to customer requests 24/7 utilizing chatbots
- Provide personalized product suggestions
- Get insights into customer preferences
- Fully up to date inventory
Automate processes
A right balance of technology supported by a well-crafted strategy will assist retailers to stay competitive and relevant in the future.
Final Thoughts
On a concluding note, we can say that customers don’t think in terms of store vs website or offline vs online. They only care what brands are willing to do for them. By keeping this in mind retailers need to approach the future with a positive mindset of keeping the business updated with modern digital trends. Only then they are able to provide a convenient, seamless, and memorable shopping experience to the consumers.
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