The Retail Store of the Future Looks Like My Bathroom

The Retail Store of the Future Looks Like My Bathroom

The Store of the Future is there when my wife suggests one fine day (in a sweet and casual tone) that we should "update the floor tile in the bathroom." It is there as I begin to visualize how the new bathroom will look. It is there when I have to pick out paint, fixtures, cabinets, countertops, shower doors and oh yeah, tile. More importantly, it is there long before I have to decide where to shop for these products for my now full-scale bathroom renovation.

The Store of the Future is a convergence of technology and possibility that materializes exactly when you need it.

Today we live in a world of consumer co-creation. Retailers can't wait till the shopper hits the store to see what's available. It is now all about being there at the moment the consumer realizes a need, and shepherding them along an adaptive path to the store, all while keeping the wolves from luring the them off into the forest of competing brands. Today, more than ever, retailers need to find creative ways to keep shopperseven their brand loyalistsengaged all the way through the transactional process. That is the power and the risk of digital touchpoints in retailing.

If retailers are willing and able, they can invest in effective digitally-based methods for reaching further into the shopper's path to purchase, closer to that decision point of "should I or shouldn't I?" and influence the decision to buy. Keep in mind, however, that it's the brand strategy behind the digital touchpoints that will drive more transactional trafficnot the digital tools themselves.

Shopping today is about research, choice and convenience. Retailers can't simply drive overall brand awareness. They have to think seriously about their overall brand presence out there in a "retail cloud." They need to be where the target audience expects to find them as they begin the customer journey. By using a digital strategy steeped in analytics, we can help retailers build platformsthe mapsthat help them intercept shoppers at crucial points along the path to purchase, and help guide their decision.

Ideally, this sort of consumer decision guidance develops from a deeper understanding not just of the consumer, but of the products that should be better served through promotions or a better retail experience. Certain products lend themselves to instant gratification or convenience, other to emotional or aspirational messages. And in many cases, the actual purchase decision is best left up to store itself, because only its sights and sounds and tactile qualities can seal the deal.

The store of the future will "magically" appear right when I need it, shepherding me from awareness of need through final purchase, and maybe even entertaining and engaging me all along the way. Touchpoints, digital or otherwise, that aid the discussion and decision processfrom budgeting, to visualization, to "how to" assistancemust then guide me through the promotional, inventory, location and loyalty processes. The brick-and-mortar experience needs to add even more value to my transaction. And finally, let's not forget the follow-on, post-purchase and loyalty support programs that have become so critical to long-term success.

The store of the future is a matrix of touchpoints. The store of the future is immediate. The store of the future is personal and engaging. The store of the future is in my bathroom. Now if I can just keep my wife from looking at the floor in our kitchen.

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