[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/07\/25\/technology-puts-shoppers-in-charge-of-their-in-store-journey\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/07\/25\/technology-puts-shoppers-in-charge-of-their-in-store-journey\/","headline":"Connected commerce: Shoppers own the customer journey via tech","name":"Connected commerce: Shoppers own the customer journey via tech","description":"Connected commerce is defined as the ability of a brand to be available across multiple channels, allowing sales anytime, anywhere, on any device.","datePublished":"2016-07-25","dateModified":"2021-04-26","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/charles-nicholls\/#Person","name":"Charles Nicholls","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/charles-nicholls\/","identifier":99,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e962b2685ccf7f3497c48b9329a3bfdee6bc0d63be5d00eca44592ceaed79938?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e962b2685ccf7f3497c48b9329a3bfdee6bc0d63be5d00eca44592ceaed79938?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Connected-commerce.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Connected-commerce.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/07\/25\/technology-puts-shoppers-in-charge-of-their-in-store-journey\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/commerce-general\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},"Customer Journey",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/intelligent-enterprise\/","name":"Intelligent Enterprise","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intelligent_enterprise","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q6044119"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/omnichannel-commerce\/","name":"Omnichannel Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Omnichannel"]},"Retail Trends, Data, News",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":692,"keywords":["Digital Commerce","Future of Shopping","In-store Technology","Omnichannel","Retail","Shopping","Social Commerce"],"articleBody":"Connected commerce has become essential as today\u2019s shoppers expect to \u2018shop the brand\u2019 irrespective of how retailers and brands are organizationally structured. This represents a fundamental change in the way that consumers behave, and retailers know they have to change or risk obsolescence.Connected commerce is defined as the ability of a brand or business to be available across multiple channels and devices, allowing transactions to occur anytime, anywhere, on any device. Via digital platforms with seamless and personalized customer experiences, connected commerce meets consumer expectations across all physical and digital customer touch points.You can see this in the performance of leading retailers where connected commerce has been embraced (like John Lewis in the U.K. ,where cross-channel sales including click and collect have powered incredible growth.) At the same time, new technologies have matured and prices have dropped significantly for a range of in-store innovations to become viable for the first time.Examples of connected commerce include:Mobile point of sale (POS)Email receiptsSubscription as a serviceRadio frequency identification (RFID)For a truly connected store, the physical and digital experiences can\u2019t be siloed; the retailer must embrace strategies, data platforms (CDPs), technologies, and tactics that merge the two.      Is it easy for consumers to buy from you? How customer identity management can help                Learn the benefits of centralized customer identity management, including omnichannel customer experience and better security.      Elevating the in-store experience with technology to create truly connected commerceMobile technology is on pace to become the go-to technique for empowering front-line store associates with the ability to provide even higher levels of customer service. For example, retailers can give sales teams tablets to assist customers, research answers to their questions, or help them order an item online that is not in stock.More retailers are also using sensors to determine customer behavior within a store. For instance, they can learn how long a customer is looking at a product, footfall density, and traffic flow. By capturing this valuable data, retailers can drive supply orders and optimize merchandise assortment and shelf space. Sensor technology can also be used to play a detailed product video when the consumer picks up an item to explain benefits and other information.Even without knowing the identities of consumers visiting the store, the data they leave behind will help determine supply and direct market research.There are ways for marketers to identify customers in the store through social media, geolocation data, loyalty programs, and questionnaires. With this information, retailers can link an unknown store visitor to a customer\u2019s digital profile to bridge the gap between physical and online experiences to provide a truly omnichannel, connected commerce approach.      Types of customer data: Definitions, value, examples                Types of customer data serve distinct purposes. Identity data, descriptive data, attitudinal data, behavioral data defined, with examples.      Customer data will be the foundation for exceptional CX in the futureWith more technology used in-store, consumers will become even more in charge of their shopping journeys – and they’ll be clamoring for a connected approach to commerce. Store associates will no longer need to give their expert recommendation. Instead, they can help customers navigate reviews at a kiosk. Consumers can pick and choose what size they want from an iPad (or other tablet) in the store.As the power shifts to the consumer and brands collect more customer data, retailers will bridge the physical and online shopping experience. The key lies in consolidating all customer data regardless of channel, to build rich and robust customer profiles.Armed with this insight in one unified location, brands can have comprehensive views of their customers and act accordingly for more personalized engagements that truly align with the customer\u2019s view of the brand – which is not a siloed experience across channels.In the coming months, there will be wider adoption of contactless payment, e-receipts, RFID, and in-store mobile POS to dominate the in-store digitization and personalization. These innovations and others lend themselves to making the experience more convenient and relevant for the consumer and creating a cost savings for retailers.  Happy customers.Connected experiences.See real-life retail outcomes HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2016","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"07","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/07\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"25","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/07\/\/25\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Connected commerce: Shoppers own the customer journey via tech","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/07\/25\/technology-puts-shoppers-in-charge-of-their-in-store-journey\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]