Personalisation and its role in retail

In order to encourage footfall and, by extension sales, retail stores are having to work twice as hard to stand out. This is particularly true for bricks-and-mortar stores, where competition is not only restricted to other stores in the area but the digital platform too. But both offline and online stores are subject to increasing customer demands. One of the biggest demands at the moment is for personalisation of products: from personalised clothing to personalised wallpaper, customers love having something uniquely tailored to their tastes. In this article, we’re exploring how brands are aiming to deliver on this. Building an experience Whether at the tills or online, analytics can be a useful tool to shape the customer experience. Recent findings showed that 75% of customers said that they would feel more inclined to make a purchase from a brand that knows them by name, or that can provide product recommendations using information from past purchases. By using analytic tools in methods such as email marketing, brands are creating closer bonds with their audiences, giving them only the information that is useful to their individual preferences. Tiffany and Co, the coveted jeweller opened a new store in Covent Garden and they truly rejuvenated the concept of a physical store, by breathing a new lease of personalised features to support their luxury products. Their ‘Style Studio’ showcases more than just the infamous duck egg blue boxed sterling silver pieces, as Tiffany produced a whole range of homeware and accessories to complement and expand upon their audience, drawing in new customers in with their #MakeItTiffany tagline. As well as the classic personalisation station where items can be engraved, the store décor used consumer analytics to determine whether the interior would appeal to a younger clientele. Going up against digital Let’s consider the travel industry as an example here. While many families used to put a Saturday afternoon aside and cram into their local travel agents, weighing up the choices for their annual summer holiday, this does not happen as often nowadays. The travel industry has moved much of its business online, making booking a holiday far more convenient. A few things haven’t changed though — digital printing is still used to help create the glossy travel agent catalogues that we are all familiar with. Some of the biggest holiday companies are still pursuing success in their physical stores, but they have revised their approach to the offline market; reflected by the fact that an impressive 22% of young families still book their holidays in physical stores. Virgin Holidays created concept stores, which captured a unique holiday experience, with virtual reality technology to simulate destinations and mocked up plane cabins. In doing so, they used a combination of sensory elements to capture customers imaginations, enhanced by modern technology. This shows that offline markets needn’t be abandoned, as utilising them the right way can reinvigorate the product/brand. It is also beneficial to make use of the large amount of digital software now available to compete with the digital age. Offline resurgence There was a time were small, family-owned stores were the go-to shops on the streets. Nowadays, this is a rarity, conserved in only a few of the UK’s major cities. Despite a plague of closures across many UK high streets, brands have not given up on the offline market. The home retailer Made.com bucked this trend, by opting to open a physical unit in Soho, London. They have amalgamated features which are common in online retail with a physical, offline setting to gage the best of both markets. Maplewave offer technology that can aid you in digitally transforming the in store customer experience. Through providing premium software and retail optimisation, Maplewave simplifies the way your customers interact with the physical aspects of you store making the experience much more personalised. A modern approach Personalisation can make all the difference in making your customer feel well-attended to. Whether your brand follows suit from Joules, the fashion retailer offered customers targeted discount codes to coincide with sales and events such as Black Friday, based on previous purchasing behaviours. Relevance is key where personalisation is concerned, as customers will be more likely to be drawn towards a sense of familiarity. The fashion retailer Urban Outfitters give those signed up to their reward scheme points even just for visiting a store, providing a clear incentive. This is the necessary fuel for conversions, and by giving your customers regular treats, you are boosting personalisation while also building customer loyalty. There is also an aspect of personalisation that offline stores do inherently better than online. Human elements offer unrivalled personalised assistance and advice, and offline stores are still thriving for this reason. However, personalisation is undoubtedly an essential for both offline and online retailers. Mediaworks is an award-winning digital marketing agency that helps brands succeed online.