{"id":779,"date":"2018-10-08T11:09:16","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T11:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/?p=779"},"modified":"2018-10-08T11:09:16","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T11:09:16","slug":"product-is-not-enough-retail-chains-build-their-strategies-based-on-customer-experience-40693","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/product-is-not-enough-retail-chains-build-their-strategies-based-on-customer-experience-40693\/","title":{"rendered":"Product is not enough. Retail chains build their strategies based on customer experience"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Customer-oriented strategies are the foundation of business in the retail trade. The growing expectations of customers are forcing retail chains to create\u00a0 holistic, personalised shopping experiences, based on the knowledge of behavioural psychologists and on the latest technologies. The basis for building an effective brand strategy is consistent communication with customers in the intermingling offline and online worlds, at every touchpoint. First and foremost, it is a human-oriented approach towards business planning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These conclusions come from the latest report \u201cShopping full of emotions\u201d, prepared by Colliers International in cooperation with Kate Nightingale, the founder of Style Psychology Ltd., an advisory company that operates in CX, Nanovo and architecture studio A+D Retail Store Design. The publication is based on interviews with industry experts, retail chain representatives and customers, and it shows the current trends in the retail trade, such as changing functions of stores, both bricks-and-mortar and online. Experts say that stores are becoming more like \u201cplaces for services\u201d, offering other added values in addition to quality goods.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeeing the world through the lens of a service is simply inevitable. \u2018Service thinking\u2019 is thinking through the whole process: analysing step-by-step the consumer\u2019s decision-making map, the consumer\u2019s touchpoints with the brand, predicting the future, describing service algorithms, and the proper communication of brand values,\u201d says <strong>Grzegorz M\u0142ynarski<\/strong>, CEO, Nanovo Consulting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/product-is-not-enough-retail-chains-build-their-strategies-based-on-customer-experience-40693\/#The_customer_experiences_technology_helps\" >The customer experiences, technology helps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/product-is-not-enough-retail-chains-build-their-strategies-based-on-customer-experience-40693\/#In_a_traditional_and_modern_way\" >In a traditional and modern way<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_customer_experiences_technology_helps\"><\/span>The customer experiences, technology helps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the most important issues currently in the retail industry is customer experience (CX), which is the subjective reaction to each action of the brand, revealed through emotions, behaviours and decisions. Retail chains are becoming aware of the importance of positive customer experiences when building brand strategy and its impact on sales results. This issue is, however, very complex.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is still no common understanding of what customer experience is and, more importantly, how it is created. One of the basic principles from consumer psychology says that humans act predominantly subconsciously. The decision to walk into a specific store or buy a specific product can often be made within less than a second. A quick look at a store\u2019s facade or a product allows us to decide whether they match our needs and budget, or not,\u201d says <strong>Kate Nightingale<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The authors of the report analysed this phenomenon and they point out that overall brand recognition is influenced by many various factors, some of which can and should be controlled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor example, in the fashion industry, CX includes not only the highest standards of services but also other components such as product packaging, visual merchandising, lighting, smell, music, and even the type of floors used at the stores. Everything has to be coherent, carefully designed, and implemented with the utmost care and precision. This comprehensive approach translates into customers\u2019 trust and loyalty,\u201d says <strong>Artur Kazienko<\/strong>, CEO, Kazar Footwear.<\/p>\n<p>The basis for understanding customer experience in a store area is to know what the intention of the visit is, as this determines the expectations. Consumers interact with a product, staff, a store\u2019s design and visual merchandising, and build their experiences in this way. Different impressions appear while visiting a store to buy a clearly defined product and when visiting to browse. Building customer experiences in the physical area of a store is also supported by technology.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_780\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-780\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-780\" src=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Marta Machus-Burek, Senior Partner, Director of Retail Agency, Colliers International\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Machus-Burek-Marta_Colliers_com_1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-780\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marta Machus-Burek, Senior Partner, Director of Retail Agency, Colliers International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cGreat importance for building and enhancing CX is played by RFID, NFC, AL and the Internet of Things. Many brands and stores are currently thinking about which technology to implement in their stores. It is a very individual case for every brand, and there is no one general solution that fits them all. Primarily, we should think about how a given technology is going to be used, what needs it responds to and how it will integrate with a brand\u2019s values. The starting point for the investment in the new technologies are customers and their expectations, not the drive to apply most sophisticated solutions,\u201d underlines <strong>Marta Machus-Burek<\/strong>, Senior Partner, Director of Retail Agency, Colliers International.<\/p>\n<p>Customer experience is an important element in the process of building a brand\u2019s competitiveness advantage. The time when the products, with their features, functionalities and qualities, were used for that purpose has already passed. Now, the competition between brands takes place at the customer experience level.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNowadays, just meeting customers\u2019 needs is not enough to retain customers and make them come back and to recommend a store to their friends. Customers need to be surprised if we want to not just maintain the number of customers but increase them. The bigger the surprise, the easier is to maintain customers and get the new ones in the future,\u201d says <strong>Dariusz Goc\u0142awski<\/strong>, commercial interior architect, A+D Retail Store Design. \u201cApart from obvious parameters such as price, quality, a product\u2019s appearance and customer service, an increasingly important role is played by more sophisticated tools, like for example: active lighting systems, store projections, additional functions, collaborations with personalities or brands, styling, the opportunity to attend meetings and specialisation,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_a_traditional_and_modern_way\"><\/span>In a traditional and modern way<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Colliers report shows that despite growing internet sales in Poland, for many customers this method functions more as a complementary rather than a primary shopping channel. Consumers appreciate bricks-and-mortar stores for the wide range of products, which they can try, touch, smell, etc. Brands realise that a store, as a physical place, still plays an important role in building good customer experience. What counts is the atmosphere of the interior, the comfort of shopping, the proper display of products and many other factors that make that it pleasant to be in a store.<\/p>\n<p>There is no doubt that the demand for traditional stores will remain, and the growth of e-commerce is an opportunity not a threat as online shopping may complete the customer experience in a significant way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur interviews undermined the myth that shopping online is only for young people. It turns out that both young and older customers who buy online pay attention to similar factors \u2013 the quality of display, flexible payment methods and an easy product return policy,\u201d says <strong>Katarzyna Michnikowska<\/strong>, Director in Research and Consultancy Services, Colliers International.<\/p>\n<p>According to the opinion of the report\u2019s authors, the goal is to create an environment where the customer can smoothly switch from offline to online, and the other way round.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you are in a store, you should be able to use the same features when using a computer or a phone. It is also important to provide a common returns and pricing policy wherever possible,\u201d sums up <strong>Sylwester Nowalski<\/strong>, Head of CRM, CCC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Customer-oriented strategies are the foundation of business in the retail trade. The growing expectations of customers are forcing retail chains to create\u00a0 holistic, personalised shopping experiences, based on the knowledge of behavioural psychologists and on the latest technologies. The basis for building an effective brand strategy is consistent communication with customers in the intermingling offline [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,301,302],"tags":[307,308,305,289,299,3004,3005,306,2772,2767,311,3006,298,310,3007,309,303,3008,312,64,304],"class_list":["post-779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-real-estate","category-commerce","category-marketing","tag-ad-retail-store-design","tag-artur-kazienko","tag-ccc","tag-colliers","tag-colliers-international","tag-crm","tag-customer-experience","tag-dariusz-goclawski","tag-e-commerce","tag-element","tag-grzegorz-mlynarski","tag-internet-of-things","tag-katarzyna-michnikowska","tag-kate-nightingale","tag-kazar","tag-kazar-footwear","tag-marta-machus-burek","tag-nanovo","tag-nanovo-consulting","tag-poland","tag-sylwester-nowalski"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}