Marketing Retail 2020: the future passes through Customer Centricity

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The number of online purchases is setting new records every month, but retail does not seem to be slowing down and is confirmed as a force capable of generating 31% of the world's gross domestic product . This is the picture that emerges from the recent Retail's Big Show 2020 in New York, the event dedicated to the world of retail that saw the participation of all the biggest players in the world, from Starbucks to Walmart. All those who thus hypothesized the titanic clash between online and offline, between digital and physical, between point of sale and eCommerce, find themselves thus displaced: the evolution of technology and consumer purchasing habits has progressively seen the overcoming of barriers and rivalries between the two worlds . Although many purchases could in fact be concluded online, many consumers prefer to collect the product directly from the point of sale. This is also confirmed by the increasingly frequent trend of digital retailer companies choosing to open points of sale not only to facilitate delivery operations, but also to offer customers even more complete purchasing experiences. The possibility of interacting with the product and creating relationships still represent determining factors for a satisfying customer experience : thus, information about products is searched for online and purchases are made offline.

Customer Experience Omnichannel: This is the real challenge
The touch points between brands and consumers are multiplying and if companies manage, in most cases, each channel with dexterity, what is often missing is a complete and strategically effective overall vision. For many brands, 2020 will be the year in which online and offline realities will become equal touch points: this entails the need to create omnichannel flows , capable of structuring a real ecosystem where the different channels collaborate effectively . If the user , in fact, is increasingly inclined to leave personal information in exchange for the personalization of their customer experience , on the other hand, companies must show themselves ready to manage this information with a view to creating loyalty strategies. Omnichannel marketing automation platforms , such as Blendee, thanks to a centralized user management system according to the CDP ( Customer Data Platform ) model, thus allow the creation of a single customer view that can be used for personalized marketing activities at each touch point.

Digitalization and big data: the innovation of the retail world
Redefining the user's customer list of argentina consumer email experience, but not only: the creation of an omnichannel strategy profoundly influences the company and redefines its organization in an impactful way . Product reservation, delivery, return, just to name a few services, but not only: offline users expect to be able to make purchases using efficient payment systems and, thanks to technology, to enjoy unique experiences such as purchasing from an APP directly at the point of sale with express checkout or booking the product online after having actually certified its availability at the point of sale. Increasingly informed, impatient, difficult to please: digital consumers expect personalized communications and offers online and offline. Access to data and the use of sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms allow the creation of predictive marketing strategies aimed at customer loyalty .





Customer Centricity: How the Customer Relationship Evolves
Ability to stimulate the senses, capture attention, create relationships: the physical store is still the most relevant touch point for structuring a relationship with the brand . Here the customer is at the center, not so much as a simple consumer, but first of all as a person. The habit of buying online, however, has also changed the consumer's approach to the point of sale: it is difficult to tolerate going to the store and not finding what you are looking for. We expect to find personalized information and offers and sales operators who know about us. The focus for companies thus shifts from the product to the consumer: technology becomes a vehicle for new experiences to be conveyed in order to make each purchase more experiential and engaging as well as each customer more loyal .