From January 17 to 20, New York was « the place to be » to discover the latest trends in retail. Organized on the initiative of the National Retail Federation (NRF), the Retail’s Big Show This year, the event welcomed 35,000 visitors, 580 exhibitors and approximately 300 speakers from 95 countries around the world. Raphaël Kattan, Director of Retail at talenco, visited the event to report on the latest trends in retail. Among them, four in particular stand out as having the potential to revolutionise the retail industry of tomorrow.
1. Omnichannel becomes a prerequisite
Now, being present on all channels is no longer a mark of differentiation but rather a prerequisite for doing business today and reaching out to the increasingly impatient, multi-device and immediacy-savvy new consumers. The new challenge therefore lies in streamlining the shopper’s purchase journey by offering them a true Connected Commerce experience.
2. The customer must have a strong experience in the store
In the age of the Digital, the customer can complete all or part of their online shopping journey. Now, when they go into a store, they want to be sure they have a strong experience, a privileged connection with the brand, and find what they want. Creating engagement through the in-store experience to better retain their customers both offline and online is the new challenge for brands in the US.
3. The exploitation of customer data through in-store analytics
Re-engaging the store also means improving the service provided to customers. The new ‘weapon’ of retailers: the analysis of customer behavior and journey in the point of sale. How do customers move around the store? Which products do they stop at and for how long? Who are the people who come back? etc. These are just some of the questions that beacon technology can provide concrete and actionable answers to, making it easier to remove the barriers to purchase.
4. The emergence of a super salesperson
The goal is to provide the right information to the seller at the right time on the right device, giving them the power to help the consumer in a relevant and quick way throughout their purchasing journey. In this context, the most advanced brands are already abandoning the tablet, which is considered to be a hindrance to the customer, in favor of smartphones and even connected watches.
These four trends show that the role of the salesperson is undergoing a complete transformation. The logic of the push-product is giving way to a new posture for the salesperson, whose role will be to embody the values of the brand, to accompany the customer throughout their brand experience, and to present the Digital ecosystem to enable them to purchase wherever and whenever they wish.
To meet these challenges and successfully achieve this profound transformation of the business, sales and marketing teams will need to be supported and trained..