Shopping on the Internet often delivers a rich buying experience to customers. On an e-commerce site, it is assumed that complete and extensive information about a product or service is readily available. Sites that do not allow a rich buying experience can quickly die out.
Supply and Demand
We demand that our online retailers provide suggestions that are relevant and meaningful to our buying history. We want to know which products other people bought would complement the one we just added to our shopping cart. We want to engage other consumers as to their success with the product. We want access to the composition of the product, its country of manufacture, and its compatibility with our other products. Successful companies can provide this valuable information in a clear and concise manner.
We are beginning to see this same capability in brick and mortar retail establishments. Online displays provide a wealth of information to the consumer by providing easy access to hundreds, or even thousands, of facts about a product prior to placing it in their cart.
A Personal Approach
Store employees can now understand your personal shopping habits, allowing them to better assist you; they’re helpful shopping assistants, not a nuisance to be avoided. Now they can say, “I think this sweater would nicely compliment the slacks you bought last month.” This personal approach is more pleasing and helpful to a customer than the bland “How can I help you?” Employees should already know the answer.
By bringing the power of Internet shopping to local brick and mortar stores, TIBCO is helping retailers create a more pleasant shopping experience for consumers. The customization that consumers expect on their favorite e-commerce sites is now available to consumers locally. To read more, check out the whitepaper, Right-Time vs Real-Time Marketing: Determining the Best Time to Market.
