Adapt and stay ahead of the curve, most business owners know full well that this is a mantra to live by. Every January welcomes in a new year of trends and consumer behaviours.
Here are the 2017 retail predictions:
1. Mobile
Mobile retail looks set to become a lot smarter in 2017. Retailers will no doubt have mobile at the forefront of their minds when creating sales strategies. The proportion of ecommerce users via mobile devices rises continuously - having a website that is mobile responsive is imperative.
2. Rise of the ‘push-button’
On-demand services are becoming another must-have with the shopping experience. We already have awareness of this through services such as Siri and Alexa. Ordering a product or service at the touch of a button is now a key consumer expectation.
3. Company/employee nurturing
Employees fulfilled in their roles demonstrate this in their work ethic and experiences with the customer. Many companies have come along leaps and bounds in eradicating silos and creating flat hierarchy and working structures. Everyone is involved and valued.
4. Physical stores will evolve
The creation of stores that are connected to technology and benefit the customer experience will be a focus for the coming year. What visitors like, what they have bought will all play a part in shaping a personalised experience enriched by technology.
5. Surge of niche retailers
Unique, personalised shopping experiences will feed into the rise of niche retailers - smaller store footfalls with specialised and knowledgeable sales teams.
6. Cross platform interaction
The move into digital ecommerce is not only mobile but across many devices, shifting from the desktop in favour of portable devices is now commonplace. What’s interesting is the rise in the amount of people that start purchases on one device and end up finishing on another.
7. Personalisation
Marketers in 2017 will need to focus on how to utilize different channels of communication in order to capture and convert their audience at the right time. What entices one visitor may not another, listening and acting on preferences will be key.
8. Cognitive commerce
Accessible data for your business is a key factor of success. CRM systems in particular will be more widely incorporated into business strategies - all helping to understand the customer more deeply, what drives them and what conversations we should be having with them.
What do you think will be the big trends in 2017? Let us know your thoughts below…
