Canadian Retailer - Summer 2016 - 18

E-COMMERCE

SUCCEEDING IN THE NEW
RETAIL ENVIRONMENT
The Nielsen Study makes several
suggestions concerning ways
retailers, large and small, can
leverage technology to succeed in
the 21st century. In brief, they are:
Remember What Drives
Shoppers: Price, quality,
convenience and selection
are key drivers of store
choice. Retailers need to
show shoppers how they're delivering
these values in every interaction,
whether it occurs online or in-store.
Add Value through Digital:
An application or device must
add value to a consumers'
life, and that value must be
clearly communicated to
consumers. Those that make their
lives better will be used, while those
that do not will be discarded.
Consider Channels Holistically: Online and in-store
are fundamentally different
channels, with unique uses,
expectations, and challenges. Nevertheless, they should complement
each other to drive increased sales.
Know Your Shoppers:
In order to create
effective strategies, retailers must know what
their customers want
and need. As consumers demand a
more personalized shopping experience, retailers should not strive to
be all things to all people but instead
must use this knowledge to personalize and align touch-point content to
meet shoppers' unique needs.
Recognize that Change
is Industry-wide: Success
in the 21st century will
require collaboration
between retailers and
manufacturers, with each party
leveraging the strengths of the other
to satisfy evolving consumer needs
and expectations.
Measure and Adjust:
Retailers should
continually monitor their
marketing efforts to
understand how shoppers
are responding to touch points and
make adjustments when necessary.

18 |

CANADIAN RETAILER | SUMMER 2016

"Our customers are a unique segment of the grocery industry. They
don't think of food as fuel, but as something they reward themselves
with," explains Jacbos. "We focus on the joy of the experience".
Higher level of engagement

E-commerce, however, is only part of the digital equation. A complete digital strategy to support online sales includes interaction at
every point along the path to purchase. Consumers are looking for
store locations, making lists, checking prices, researching products,
sharing content and purchasing. And they aren't simply doing these
things at home anymore. They're doing these things wherever and
whenever their mobile phones allow them to-everywhere, all the time.
This represents an opportunity for retailers to engage the consumer right up until the point of purchase. In-store digital enablement options (such as mobile coupons, lists and shopping apps, and in-store
Wi-Fi availability) can bring the convenience and personalization
of the online experience into
"In a competitive retail
brick-and-mortar stores. Two
thirds of Nielsen respondents
environment, retailers and
said they are eager to try momanufacturers can add value
bile coupons and mobile shopand differentiation by
ping lists, and 63 per cent are
providing digital tools to
willing to download a retailer/
help consumers take control loyalty program app on a moof their shopping experience bile phone to receive information. The return-on-investment
while also increasing sales
for an engaging and relevant
potential. Mobile, in particular, in-store digital enablement procan tip the scales in favour of
gram can be found in increased
dwell time and basket size, and
increased shopper control,
in shopper satisfaction.
empowering them to shape
"At present, shoppers do all
the shopping experience
the work putting the pieces
more than ever before."
together to arrive at their final
purchase decision," said Dodd
- PATRICK DODD, Nielsen
in The Future of Grocery. "In a
competitive retail environment, retailers and manufacturers can add
value and differentiation by providing digital tools to help consumers
take control of their shopping experience while also increasing sales
potential. Mobile, in particular, can tip the scales in favor of increased
shopper control, empowering them to shape the shopping experience
more than ever before."
What the customer wants

Loblaws is one Canadian grocery chain that made real in-roads in
empowering customers through digital initiatives, listening to their
calls for greater digital tools to streamline their shopping experience.
Over the past three years, Loblaw has rolled out three e-commerce
businesses for some of Canada's most recognized brands including
joefresh.com, BeautyBoutique.ca by Shoppers Drug Mart and Online
Grocery by way of Loblaws, Zehrs and Real Canadian Superstore
Click & Collect. They're commited to create compelling and seamless
end-to-end digital experiences for their customers that extend into
everything they design, build, launch and iterate upon.
"We find customers respond well to personalization weaved into

http://www.joefresh.com http://www.BeautyBoutique.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Summer 2016