Innovation in the retail industry has become imperative for business survival, one that retailers cannot ignore.
2024 is fast approaching, and there are plenty of retailers that continue to discuss the need for innovation, but then fail to see it through to actual implementation.
The retail sector has experienced a phase of disruption marked by low-profit margins and rising customer expectations, compelling retailers to reconsider and enhance their digital transformation strategies.
“If you’re not innovating, you’re standing still and that is the most dangerous place to be in retail. Perpetual disruption requires perpetual innovation. The most successful today are those that reject the status quo.”
Natalie Berg, Retail Analyst and Founder of NBK Retail
In October, KPMG/RetailNext Retail Think Tank (RTT) has shared its quarterly report on the state of retail in the UK: Change of Fail: Why Innovation is Now the Business Survival Issue Retailers Can’t Afford to Ignore. The report underscores the issue of numerous retailers lagging in their ability to adapt, despite the persistent flux and rapid changes within the UK retail industry.
Members of RTT have observed that retailers failing to adapt by investing in technology will face the risk of going out of business, and the retail market may witness additional major failures in the coming years:
“Those [retail] businesses that are around now have a runway for the next 3-5 years, but if they stand still and fail to innovate, they won’t have a runway past 3-5 years.”
Paul Martin, UK Head of Retail – KPMG
“There are plenty of retailers that talk about the need for innovation but then fail to see it through to actual implementation.”
Gary Whittemore, Head of Sales, EMEA & APAC – RetailNext
The concept of shopping has evolved beyond the confines of traditional in-store or online experiences. It’s now a dynamic journey, where consumers may initiate their search in one platform and end, or purchase in another. Retail innovation is essential in adapting to this evolving landscape.
As we approach 2024, retailers should be understanding their customer; where they discover products, learning more about them, and where they’re buying them. Whether these interactions unfold within a single channel or across multiple, it’s crucial that each engagement with a customer should be consistent. Brands should embrace a 360-degree view of each customer, and that’s the genuine key to achieving omnichannel success.
Unlocking Retailer’s Innovation: How to Successfully Innovate in Retail
In the fast-paced world of retail, successful innovation hinges on a retailer’s ability to adapt and cater to unmet customer needs, often anticipating these needs before competitors. This proactive approach necessitates a forward-looking perspective, ensuring that emerging trends and evolving consumer behaviours are thoughtfully incorporated into product and service offerings.
Data has taken centre stage in the quest for innovation, given the unpredictability of modern customer behaviours. Retailers are recognising that to thrive, they must:
- Be where their customers are: In an omnichannel world, it’s vital for retailers to establish a presence across all relevant channels, from brick-and-mortar stores to online platforms and social media, ensuring they can engage with customers wherever they choose to interact.
- Know their customers across all their channels: Comprehensive data analytics allow retailers to gain deep insights into customer behaviour, preferences and expectations. By understanding their customers holistically, retailers can deliver more personalised experiences that resonate with their customers.
- Deliver against expectations: Meeting and exceeding customer expectations is paramount. Whether it’s through seamless online shopping, in-store assistance, or a combination of both, retailers must align their strategies with customer expectations to foster loyalty and drive growth.
How can Retailers Benefit from the Adoption of Emerging Technologies?
To avoid pitfalls, retailers need to innovate in advanced technology that will enable them to understand their true customer. The adoption of emerging technologies offers several advantages to retailers, including:
- Improved Customer Engagement: Technologies like AI and its predecessor machine learning enable retailers to provide personalised recommendations and offers, enhancing customer engagement and loyalty.
- Operational Efficiency: Advanced inventory management systems powered by AI can optimise stock levels, reduce wastage, and improve the supply chain process, ultimately reducing costs, and preventing markdowns.
- Competitive Edge: Retailers that embrace emerging technologies can stay ahead of the competition by offering innovative and convenient shopping experiences, such as augmented reality try-ons or smart, connected stores.
- Data-Driven insights: Emerging technologies provide valuable data insights that help retailers make informed decisions, from optimising store layouts to understanding customer behaviour through tailored recommendations.
Generative AI: Inarguably, AI is the most disruptive trend in 2023 and is already embedded in many retailer technologies from personalisation, product recommendation, and predictive stock ordering and replenishment. While AI can simulate, forecast and predict pricing, promotions, shopping journeys and fulfilment, Generative AI automates the generation of insight from this analysis, surfacing it as actionable intelligence.
Read more: AI Innovation: A Guide to Modern Retail Customer Retention Strategy
Success is determined solely by the customer
One of retail’s greatest challenges now is to gain a better understanding of who is actually in store, how they behave and what they might want.
Taking real-world success with our very own ClarityOmnivue to generate personalised campaigns, our client, Paul Smith have achieved an average increase in conversion rates of 40% like-for-like marketing activities – demonstrating the power and potential of marketing on relevance and truly understanding online and offline customers’ buying behaviours.
ClarityOmnivue delivers true, accurate data that is utilised to create individually customised targeted marketing campaigns that are personalised and relevant to the customer. This more personalised approach when connecting with their customers engenders trust and a positive digital relationship with the customer whilst remaining with the customers’ privacy settings.
In conclusion, the retail industry’s dilemma is clear, to either innovate or to stagnate. Those who embrace emerging technologies, focus on customer experience, and adapt to the ever-changing retail landscape will thrive. Retailers must recognise that innovation is not a one-time endeavour but a continuous journey to stay competitive, relevant and successful in this digital age.
At Data Clarity we are on top of the challenges and opportunities for retailers. We offer multiple data-driven solutions for organisations to benefit from customer data, data management tools and analytics.
For more information, contact our data experts today.
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