Millennial shoppers are the catchment that all retailers are turning their attention too. Indeed this group of shoppers that are born between 1980 and 2000 are widely recognised as a key retail demographic. While there are many assumptions about what millennials want from their retail experience, one factor cannot be denied. millennial shoppers expect seamless retail.
Seamless retail is very much what its name suggests. This concept is about bringing together all the many threads of retail channels to create a seamless consumer omnichannel. Certainly millennials are highly digitised in their way of exploring their retail world, yet online shopping does not stand alone as a ‘new cool’. Millennials make full use of the web to thoroughly research products and services that have caught their interest. They look for the options available, best price, product reviews and ratings plus feedback on specific retails. Yet the desire for a sensory shopping experience is not lost. Millennials will commonly visit physical stores armed with exceptional retail knowledge in order to embark on a sensory purchasing journey. The difference is though, they want seamless transitions between online to in store.
Despite the vast sea of product and purchasing information available to them, millenials can still be fiercely loyal customers when their retail experience is satisfying. An inherent desire to be wooed and treated like a valued customer means initiatives like targeted individualised promotions and exclusive offers are key links in the seamless retail chain.
Seamless retail is the overarching demand millenials make on retailers. So retailers must respond by delivering a single compelling interaction with millennial shoppers across all channels. That means from smart phone to in store and all points in between, the experience a millennial has with a retailer is meticulously consistent. Customised offerings, integrated data channels together with time- and consumer-centric service are all essential to achieving seamless retail.
Lagging behind in responding to the transformational seamless retail revolution is one of the most critical dangers faced by modern retailers. Seamless retail and all its requirements may seem like a tall order. Yet retail specialists like Design Clarity can ensure your company is seamless retail ready. Take a look at seamless retail in action through some of Design Clarity’s recent work, including:
- Vodafone pop-up
- Lexmark
- Tradelink ‘branch of the future’ rollout
