Why the “Smart” in Smart Clienteling Should Stand for “Smartphone”
Posted by Alex Samuely on Dec 7, 2017
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In recent years, smartphones have usurped friends and family as the number one, must-have companion for a shopping trip. After all, without a smartphone, how can you conduct price comparisons, snap photos and look up similar products, all without leaving the aisle?
This shift in consumer behavior means that retailers must adapt their clienteling models to a mobile-first generation. However, not all of them have conformed. In fact, only 51% of brands enable their in-store associates to carry a smartphone or tablet on the retail floor to assist customers.
Equipping in-store employees with brand-approved mobile devices containing up-to-date inventory is a sales tactic that every major brick-and-mortar retailer must add to its arsenal. If shoppers are able to outsmart employees by using their own devices to look up in-store product locations, shipping information, and size or style variations, it reflects poorly on the brand, and could result in the customer making a purchase elsewhere instead. Associates without company-issued devices are playing a losing game, especially as shoppers expect their favorite brands to continually evolve the brick-and-mortar shopping experience to match the digital world.
This gradual retail evolution has led to the inception of several different sales strategies, including smart fitting rooms, instant rewards for walking into a store, and touch screen displays. The retail industry has officially entered the world of beacons, mobile point-of-sale solutions, and mobile loyalty programs, and in-store technology should reflect this. Store employees can keep up with these new technological advancements through their company-issued smartphones or tablets.
Ultimately, with the majority of consumers using their smartphones as omnipresent shopping buddies these days, retailers would be remiss not to equip their sales associates with the same technology. Sometimes, the saying, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” does apply in retail.
For more insights, download your complimentary copy of the 2017 Mobile Retail Report: www.newstore.com/mobile-retail-report.
