Tech Bytes: ‘Transfiguration’ take-aways from Oracle Industry Connect

Shoppers want their favorite brands to know who they are, feature their preferred merchandise, and overall, offer an “experience” that appeals to them — and only them.



This point was driven home at Oracle Industry Connect, held in Orlando, Florida, March 20-22. During the conference, industry observers defined how retail is undergoing a “transfiguration,” or a shift to providing an elevated customer experience. What’s at the core of this change? In a word: personalization.



Here’s a look at three concepts can help retailers thrive in this era of transfiguration:



Create a new level of loyalty. Any retailer that offers a loyalty program that merely delivers discounts is not only wasting their time — they are killing long-term customer relationships. Chains that can delve into big data sets and use customer-specific information to create personal experiences will be primed to drive successes in the future.



Ulta Beauty is bullish on using its Ulta Rewards loyalty program as a means of creating a “guest-centric” experience, Jeffrey Hamm, senior director e-commerce, Ulta Beauty, said at the event.



The chain has 23 million members enrolled in its program, and by using its members’ customer-specific data, the chain is creating more personalized CRM offers to each one — a strategy that is driving retention rates, and increasing sales per member, frequency of purchase and average members’ tickets.



Cultivate more knowledgeable associates. In an era when shoppers are entering stores with more information than associates have access to, retailers need to ensure they don’t disappoint shoppers when they visit. This requires customer-facing associates stay abreast of inventory levels, where merchandise resides, and how to get product into customers’ hands — even when it isn’t on the sales floor.



Payless is working toward this goal by arming associates with iPads connected to mobile apps that can access inventory levels, place orders, and upsell merchandise. The solution, which is still in a proof-of-concept phase, contributed to approximately a 5% sales lift within its first week of launching. Allowing customers means to place orders on merchandise at other locations, the solution helps associates “save the sale” and drive crucial customer connections.



Develop an immersive experience. Consumers — even the most digitally-minded — appreciate stores whose shopping experiences deliver value and inspiration.



Some supermarket retailers, for instance, upping their traditional shopping experiences by featuring premium restaurants that serve higher quality product. At The Farmhouse, a locally-sourced restaurant in Niemann Foods’ Harvest Market, Champaign, Illinois, shoppers are lured by inviting atmosphere of the space, and can enjoy a meal created with the same products sold in the store.



Besides creating “a celebration of food,” such destinations allow shoppers to sample items and experience meal prep that encourages them to make a future in-store purchase, maybe even the products needed to recreate their meal at home.