When asked what makes e-commerce better than classic retail, the answer is often enough: personalization. Collecting data on the purchasing behavior and preferences of customers in virtual space seems to be a lot easier – and more natural – than on the surface.
However, we would like to show here that there are also extensive possibilities to find out more about customers in the city center store and to collect valuable data – without entering into data protection gray areas.
Identification by customer card
The customer card is certainly the classic here: When used correctly, it is basically the counterpart to the online shop login – and in the supreme discipline of customer loyalty the number 1. The card not only saves the customer’s personal data, but also their purchase history. As a thank you for the trust that customers have shown in retailers that they handle their data with care, they receive exclusive incentives such as discount codes or event invitations.
A customer card should therefore be issued as easily as possible. Possibly sending the customer two floors down with the words “Then go to counter XY…” is a no-go. Ideally, customer data is recorded directly on the store assistant’s mobile device and the card is conveniently sent to the customer by post. And that includes a hefty welcome discount.
- Links customers to purchase history
- Binding tool number 1 thanks to exclusive advantages
- It should be possible to create new customer cards without detours or hurdles, eg directly on the mobile device of the store assistant
The right sound, the right news
Have you ever stumbled backwards out of a store because the music didn’t suit your taste at all? And maybe you felt a few hundred decibels too loud from the speakers? Then that was probably the complete intention of the brand. Conversely, a playlist that is perfectly tailored to the target group can have an all the more positive effect on sales results. If we love music, we like to stay longer.
The situation is similar with moving image content. Whether classic digital signage or the integration of news: It depends on what interests the customers.
- The right music decides how long customers stay
- The integration of current news should match customer interests
Interactive touchpoints collect valuable data
Digital touchpoints are most effective when they offer added value to both customers and retailers alike. Self-service or self-checkout (self-checkout) terminals can be an excellent addition, but only return their ROI if the data that these terminals collect is also viewed, evaluated and classified. This can be done with the Microsoft tool Power BI, for example. Power BI can visually represent anything that collects data anywhere. The data is never personalized or assigned to a single person.
- Interactive touchpoints collect data; these should be evaluated and used
- All data is GDPR compliant and can never be linked to a single person
Product comparisons via IoT buttons
IoT (or Flic) buttons are small, lightweight buttons that are linked to software via Bluetooth. They are ideal for a wide range of applications. One of them, for example, is the classic comparison: A number of similar products are each equipped with an IoT button. If two or more buttons are pressed, the details of the individual items appear on the screen above the goods. Not only can the customers compare the articles that interest them most, the software backend also stores which buttons were pressed most often – i.e. which product seemed the most interesting.
- By pressing IoT buttons, customers can compare exactly the products that really interest them
- The collected data helps to evaluate which products were the most interesting
Footfall & AI Analysis
Simply counting customers entering and leaving a store is now a matter of course. We are still hesitant in this country when it comes to the detailed analysis of customer behavior. Unfortunately, everything that has to do with detection by cameras or sensors continues to be stigmatized. However, the use of this technology can lead to a significant improvement in the shopping experience – without infringing on personal rights or storing personalized data.
- Demographic data such as age, gender, mood can be recorded. They are anonymized and accumulated. Product ranges and shopfitting can be adjusted accordingly.
- Length of stay and walking distances provide information on how customers move and where they stop and why
- Sensors on advertising and digital signage displays record which content was interesting (i.e. what customers looked at and for how long).
Don’t forget: merge data
Having data is nice – interpreting data correctly is next level. Ideally, all of the data mentioned in this article would be brought together in a single system. This is the easiest way to connect the data with each other and to derive appropriate theses from them.
Data silently reflects the wishes of customers. And correctly implemented results may put a surprised smile on your face and win happy regular customers.
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Experience these solutions live at the Bütema AG booth at EuroCIS 2022 –