The explosion of digital has been both a blessing and a curse for retailers. On the one hand, it has created new commerce channels and sales touchpoints. On the other, it has made engagement in the store much, much harder.
Mobile, in particular, has profoundly impacted consumer behavior. In addition to providing shoppers with a portable platform for online retail, it has become a welcome distraction tool within the store environment. I am sure we have all reached for our smartphone to check prices, message friends, or keep ourselves entertained in the checkout queue at some point!
Per a study performed by BRP Consulting, titled 2019 Special Report: In-Store Mobility, 63% of consumers rely on mobile phones while shopping in-store to compare prices, search for offers and coupons, and check inventory, among other things.
The result of this is that many retailers feel mobile has created a disconnection between ‘customers’ online and offline experiences – but only a few are doing something to address it. With over 40% of online retail activity (expected to be over 50% by 2021) now generated by mobile devices, the impact of digital influences on physical retail is only going to heighten.
Iconic British shoe manufacturer and retailer, Clarks, is one such driving force. Rather than being phased by the growth of digital, it has positively sought to reshape its store experiences by incorporating technology into face-to-face encounters.
Clarks has done this by providing a tablet solution for their retail staff that brings online capabilities to their brick and mortar stores. By placing core product information and inventory data at the fingertips of their staff, Clarks is able to offer more informative customer experiences – which keep shoppers closely engaged.
Not only has this enabled Clarks to mirror its physical and online experiences, deploying tablets as a sales tool has improved store performance; basket abandonment rates are down while cross-selling, and up-selling has increased.
By embracing consumers’ love for technology, Clarks has successfully bridged the digital/physical gap to deliver relevant and contextual interactions in the store. It is this connected service that recognizes the value of customers in all channels and nurtures relationships for long-term brand loyalty.
Moki has played a vital role in Clarks’ deployment. Moki enables Clarks’ IT department to secure their devices, lockdown devices to applications that they want their retail staff to have access to, receive alerts if issues arise, perform bulk actions to their entire fleet of devices, and more.
If you are interested in learning more about how Moki can help your business, please call us at (844) 665-4669 or request a demo at moki.com/demo.
