Retail stores in England have opened their doors once more, joining European neighbours France, Italy and Spain where stores are also ready for an influx of much needed business. To prepare for what the Fashion Network is calling a "festive shopping frenzy" as customers head to the shops for their Christmas gifts and January bargains, retailers need to think about how best to serve shoppers over the next few months. One approach is to give customers their very own digital shopping assistant - with Mercaux's B2C Web App, customers are given the tools to serve themselves.
Last week, we conducted a survey of 1,500 shoppers and discovered that confidence levels for returning to stores are higher than they were when when we conducted a similar survey back in August, particularly around the 18-24 and 55-64 age ranges. Only a third of consumers say they don't feel comfortable returning to stores for the holiday season (find out how you can accommodate these shoppers digitally here), but the remaining two-thirds are happy to do their shopping in person.
Can your stores accommodate the influx of shoppers expected in the holiday season?
One way to support your sales teams is to provide customers with the tools to serve themselves. Where Store Associates are stretched, our B2C Web App is poised to take the burden.
Rather than have customers wait to ask Store Associates for recommendations and product availability, our B2C App speeds up the in-store process by giving customers the tools to find this information for themselves. This takes the pressure off sales staff, while also providing a COVID-secure option for anxious shoppers who want to keep distanced.
No native App download is needed, customers access the App by simply scanning a QR code upon entering the store - try it out by scanning the code below to our Demo App:
One of the key features of the App is the Scan & Search function, which allows customers to scan barcodes to obtain product descriptions, size availability and cross-selling suggestions. If the product isn't available, the App will suggest alternatives, or show them where the product is available for them to purchase in another store or online.
Tap on the "Scan Barcode" tile in the demo App to try the Scan & Search function for yourself:
To support you in the current festive period and into the January Sales, we are offering you use of the App for free, across all your stores. All you need to do is pay for the small setup charge, so we can customise the App with your branding and add your endless aisle of products - click here to register your interest.