How is the role of physical shops changing?
Since the coronavirus pandemic, customers are shopping online more than ever before. This has had an impact on physical shops. What roles do brick-and-mortar shops play in the optimum sales network of the future?
Experience & Convenience
Brick-and-mortar shops will always remain an essential channel for attracting new customers. They are activation hubs, where ‘experience’ is a crucial factor. Equally important is convenience. Retail outlets that offer a smooth, accessible and seamless shopping experience perform up to 20% better.
“Brick-and-mortar shops will always remain an essential channel for attracting new customers.”
Our research showed that the coronavirus .has considerably changed customer behaviour. This offers opportunities to organise your network in a smart way and achieve better performance. If you do this in a carefully thought-out, data-driven way, you can actually minimise customer loss.
Visibility = brand awareness & trust
Your physical shops are your main marketing tool! Highly visible shops increase brand awareness and create more trust, both physically and online.
The halo effect is also very important because your online shop will perform better in areas close to your physical shops. Customers in those areas will be more familiar with your brand and buy online with greater confidence. They can always go to your physical shop for any returns, questions, or complaints.
“Your physical shops are your main marketing tool!”
Recent digital transformations. of service providers. (such as banks or employment agencies) show that you can still be sufficiently visible, both physically and online, with a smaller, smarter and better-performing sales network.
Physical meets online: The hybrid omnichannel network
Brick-and-mortar shops are a vital link in the optimum sales network of the future. Combine the power of your physical network with smart hybrid initiatives. such as click & collect, pick-up points or self-service kiosks.
The Click&Collect option for online orders is increasing in popularity. A smart national coverage. still affords you an unrivalled competitive edge over online-only shops.
Inspiration as a USP
Your brick-and-mortar shops are best-placed to inspire, surprise and entice your customers. They remain the place to be to really experience a product: see it, feel it, try it, taste it, smell it...you name it!
In this sense, physical shops and online shops can perfectly complement each other. Online-only players such as asos.com miss out on this complementarity! It will therefore come as no surprise that Amazon is in the process of opening brick-and-mortar shops. where customers can try, feel, hear, and see products. With great success!
Strong physical shops form the basis for your location strategy. With the right strategic choices and tools, you can outline your sales network of the future.
