Video: Build Customer Loyalty with these Omnichannel Strategies
Today, customers expect a seamless shopping experience, packed with personalization. This means winning at omnichannel. Retailers must create a unified customer experience across every channel, both on- and offline. That means standing up integrated technology and real-time data, and championing a customer-centric approach through every level of the organization.
At a recent CommerceNext event, Bluecore CMO Jason Grunberg sat alongside executives from Sephora, Lowe’s, and Tapestry, moderated by Krystina Gustafson, Chief Content Officer at Trybe. The panel discussed emerging omnichannel strategies and the technology that powers them.
Read on for three key takeaways.
Next-level omnichannel integration
The pandemic created a unique challenge (and opportunity) for retailers.
For years, many retailers built out their digital capabilities, which became essential during the lockdown. But as stores opened back up, customers wanted the best of both worlds: a human, in-store experience and a convenient, personalized online one.
In 2024, retailers are developing omnichannel strategies to balance the best of in-store and online channels. As Ryan Fagan, VP of Digital at Lowe’s, put it, “How do you take these human experiences and bring them digitally? And then think about the digital powers, or superpowers, that we can create for our associates in store.”
For Lowe’s and Tapestry, one strategy involved leveraging in-store staff knowledge to improve the online experience. The digital team invited store associates to evaluate how “human” the app and online connection points felt. Their feedback helped create a seamless and user-friendly experience for shoppers.
Personalization and retail data
Retail organizations have made significant investments in technology.
From digital loyalty programs to customer data platforms (CDPs), retailers are gathering more information than ever before. But are they using that data to deliver a personalized shopping experience? More importantly, while these investments make their omnichannel strategies possible, are they leading to more purchase behavior?
One challenge Bluecore’s Jason Grunberg sees is that most CDPs are transactional in nature. “The data set is built off of purchases. And so they [retailers] don’t have the same amount of data on shoppers — those that haven’t purchased previously or have just purchased once.”
At the same time, one-time purchasers can represent up to 85% of a retailer’s customer file. To deliver a highly personalized experience, and turn one-time purchasers into repeat customers, retailers need to track customer movement across the full lifecycle — not just at the point of purchase.
Expanded retail capabilities
Customers are vocal about what they want and how they want it.
And savvy retailers are listening. At Lowe’s, this means expanding the way customers can order and receive home improvement products. Lowe’s launched partnerships with platforms like Instacart, DoorDash, and Shipt to enable same-day, in-home delivery.
Meanwhile, Sephora continues to redefine the beauty market. An early mover in social commerce, Sephora’s team ran into the limitations of selling on social media. Namely, they weren’t able to replicate their website shopping experience on their social media channels.
Now, they’re focused on maximizing the discovery potential of social media, while also building out a robust set of beauty preferences that are available to customers whether they’re shopping in-store or online. As VP of Omni Convenience & Commerce Partnerships Amber Turley said, “We’re really focusing more on enhancing our own property in order to complement the journey from social.”
Drive retail growth with omnichannel strategies
At Bluecore, we work to equip retailers with the data and insights they need to deliver a seamless customer experience and drive bottom-line growth.
With Bluecore’s proprietary Customer Movement Assessment, you receive an in-depth assessment of your customer file, along with surgical recommendations for growth opportunities based on our index of 200+ retailers.
