For retailers it can be difficult to adapt to e-commerce. However, consumers are becoming used to engaging with brands and stores digitally, so physical stores will have to evolve accordingly.
With physical stores you may of course make your mark on social media. And precisely social media provide an excellent entrance to an online presence. Many customers rely on online reviews when it comes to shopping. If you manage to link physical stores to e-commerce, you can provide great customer experience.
Adapting to the digital age
Retailers need to put less emphasis on physical stores and focus more on finding new ways to integrate e-commerce into their operations. There is a current trend of transforming stores into showrooms. One advantage of this is that there is less stock, resulting in cheaper logistics. Showrooms allow customers to try out products. This way, retailers can provide unique experiences and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Online shopping should be seen as something which can support physical shopping. For example, you could provide a kiosk in your store where customers can read online reviews, after which they may make a purchase immediately. You might also interconnect the reviews with products by incorporating QR codes into labels.
A payless and seamless future
Payless retail systems are automated checkout platforms which enable stores to eliminate long queues. A network of cameras and AI learning can speed up the checkout process. Amazon Go and tech startups are already using such solutions, according to an article on the business2community.com website.
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