What is the future of high street shopping?
89% of the UK population visit online retailers.
You’ve probably seen a load of statistics like this, I seem to see them posted on Twitter on a daily basis.
If the stats are true then every retailer in the country should have an eCommerce website to sell their products, and if you don’t then you’ll be left behind.
Mobile Commerce or mCommerce is growing even faster. The smart phone and tablet market is growing at an extremely fast rate. 5.3% of the total UK web traffic comes from non-computer devices. Now 5% doesn’t sound like much, but it’s very early days for this market.
So we’ve established that all retailers should trade online through multiple channels, now let’s talk about what will happen to the high street shops. What can the high street do to increase sales and not be completely overwhelmed by the web?
The coolest wall ever!
I was fortunate enough to attend this years Screen Media Expo which was excellent and full of inspirational displays. One of the most exciting things I came across was at the Adidas and Intel stand. I caught sight of a virtual wall full of floating trainers, which I had to go and have a look at!
The spinning interactive adiVerse Virtual Footwear Wall I was viewing could put 8,000 shoes at a shoppers’ fingertips in a futuristic mash-up of eCommerce and high street retail.
Designed by UK based Start Creative and created by Intel in partnership with Adidas, the wall renders products in 3D and allows a shopper to spin and zoom in on the shoes and call up specs from a touch-screen display. Users can view intricate details and videos related to each product and even have shoes given to them by Lionel Messi…all virtually of course! Check out the video to see it in action.
So what are the advantages to Adidas in using this wall in their stores?
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They can display 1000’s of products in a very small space on a flat wall
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With less space required to display products, then smaller retail outlets can be used, which of course saves money on rental costs
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With less space required for the showroom they can create more stock space and in turn stock a larger range which means more variety available in store
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They can employ less staff saving them money on overheads
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The use of celebrity endorsements to sell the products, virtually
What are the advantages for the customers?
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More choice
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Customer reviews give unbiassed opinions
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No hassle from sales people!
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Huge amounts of extra product information
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Easy selecting and purchasing options
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Can physically try on the tester shoes before you buy
The major disadvantage to this system is obviously the cost for implementing it. Most of us won’t have the budgets that Adidas have and I’m pretty sure this would have cost them a lot!
Thankfully there are ways that retailers can achieve similar results on a much smaller budget:
Digital display/signage screens in store
This sounds like an expensive option, but it’s surprising how cost effective this can be. It’s ideal for:
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Displaying daily special offers and all in-store marketing
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Showing customer’s product reviews
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Displaying tweets about the store or company
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Promotional videos – Moving images are more likely to be viewed than static images
It’s worth noting that screens with an internet connection are much more productive as they allow for a creative agency to update the displays remotely. It’s also easy to have multiple screens work off of the same remote system.
Interactive display screens let a customer touch, move stuff about and push buttons on screen. This is a more expensive option but gives the user more freedom and is great for really engaging with the customer.
Use tablets to display information in store
The Bouncepad iPad Stand
An alternative to buying display screens is to use a tablet device such as an iPad. This can act as an interactive display allowing users to read product reviews, and view in-store marketing. At Screen Media Expo I met Bouncepad who sell a really cool and easy to use iPad stand that is perfect for this job. This option is ideal for smaller shops who wouldn’t require many screens.
QR Codes linking to product information
QR codes used on displays enable smart phone users to scan the code and view web links to find out more information about the shop or it’s products. Special offers can be hidden on pages that can then be used in-store.
Displaying full range of products via an eCommerce website
Displaying an eCommerce site in-store allows customers to view the entire product range as well as reviews and company background.
Now if you asked the question,
What are the advantages to customers shopping online?
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More choice
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Customer reviews give unbiassed opinions
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No hassle from sales people!
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Huge amounts of extra product information and history
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Easy selecting and purchasing options
Sound familiar?
To keep up with fast growing eCommerce and mCommerce sales figures, high street retailers must use the same techniques used online, in-stores.
Paul has over 13 years experience in Senior Design and Creative Director Roles delivering high-end eCommerce design which focuses on the user experience. Paul has the ability to design for the end user, to understand the customer journey through all touch points and translate the site information architecture into an easily useable navigation system, whilst maintaining an exciting and visually appealing site for the target audience.
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