We keep saying it over and over and are sure some of you are sick of it... but one last time: Customer engagement is the way to increase revenue! It should be the ultimate goal of every retail business both in store and with advertisement. Give customers more of what they are looking for and go above and beyond with your in-store experience and your revenue will be above and beyond what you are currently making.

As seen in an earlier article, From Bricks and Mortar to Bricks and Mortar, consumers went through a mass phase of wanting retail online and are now heading back to bricks-and-mortar. Enter the Phygital...a new wave of retail innovation. The question is, “Are Aussie Retailers true innovators and will they be able to keep up in the rapidly changing retail arena?” There are certain instances where Australian retailers have been innovative – for example Shoes of Prey, Vinomofo, and The Iconic – but on a whole, retailers seem to struggle in this arena. Let’s explore what makes retailers innovative…

The initial touch point with a customer is the most crucial part in determining whether the experience you provide will engage customers. It starts even before a customer steps foot into the store. In order to engage consumers, brands must know what their target market wants. Their shopping patterns and behaviour should be the focus and the goal is to improve shopper experience. The floor they walk though should ultimately inspire and trigger emotions to feel apart of a brand.

At Kepler Analytics, we strongly believe in the power of data-driven decision making. The e-commerce market has had the luxury of customer behavioural data for decades when it only commands 5% of all retail spending. So it’s mind-boggling to think that, while 95% of all spending is still done at brick-and-mortar stores, there is no reliable and effective method to measure in-store customer behaviour at all!

In the 1800s retail was all about customer service and the bricks and mortar store. In the past 15 years we have seen a drastic shift in how retail and marketing are conducted. Consumers took control of the industry in the early 2000s and focus went from bricks and mortar to e-commerce and online. In 2015 and beyond the focus is going to begin to shift back to the bricks and mortar experience where bridging the gap between physical and digital will be the key. Truly knowing your customer and interacting with them on an intimate level will drive the retail experience.