Tech trends showcased during NRF can reduce friction in the shopping experience, but they need to be backed by the basics done right.
Brands increasingly want to know more about the relevant aspects of the customer during the purchase process. By gathering a more detailed understanding of the pains and needs of their bases, companies can identify points of friction and choose the best course of action to remedy them. In the scenario of economic instability, the initiative can also contribute to the loyalty and commitment of new Customer Experience.
Although it can be practiced in different ways, the client recognition task requires solid strategic structures capable of evaluating panoramic images at different times. Furthermore, knowing what the consumer wants is only the first step in the process. The second, and most important, stage requires retailers to be able to translate the information collected into effective action.
At this point, retailers may see the technology as a solution to the identified problems. Sure, embracing innovations is the right thing to do, but what about good basics done right? “You have to think about innovations after doing the basics well. Otherwise, the novelties will not have the desired effect,” says Fernanda Dalben, a participant in the Brazilian delegation at NRF 2023 and marketing director of Dalben Supermercados, in conversation with Club Mundo do Marketing.
What are the correct fundamentals?
The recently completed edition of NRF was dominated by the theme “Customer Experience”. The conferences covered technology solutions that aim to reduce friction points and increase Customer Experience independence during the buying process, and the conferences also covered another essential element for building positive experiences.
Imagine yourself in the following situation: Within a trading company, you will find everything that is most innovative in terms of technology. Perched on the shelves, marvel at the ease of automation and never get tired of scanning barcodes or QR codes to check products into your cart. However, you are looking for an item but cannot find it.
You approach a store clerk who is very angry and gives you little to no information. Upset, he decides to look for the item on his own, but gives up minutes later when he realizes that the requested item hasn’t been exchanged in the store. In this scenario, the organization offers customers the mechanisms to reduce friction, but doesn’t get the basics right.
In this way, the buying journey becomes difficult and frustrating, negating the benefits that technology provides. “There’s no point in bringing the best of technology to a Customer Experience if the store is disorganized, has a problem, or has poor service. When we talk about the basics done right, we’re talking about the bare minimum that needs to be done, and what the customer expects.” find in your store.Who With that in mind, we generate good experiences and then manage to bring outstanding innovation, technology and services”, explains Fernanda.
Focus on the real world: a step back?
If the last edition of NRF drew attention to emerging technological marvels, such as the Metaverse, for example, this year’s edition took a “step back” to address real-world structural problems, which of course could jeopardize the operation of a company. .
Global retailers have felt the effects of the pandemic deeply in the last three years. Therefore, the context of recovery can be summed up with the word understanding. “They [Americans] have tried to get back to their purpose a little bit, trying to understand why the company exists and working on the workforce issue, which is very rare here in the US. Right now, the companies are looking inward to better understand their customers and retain them during their engagement”, says the marketing manager.
The difficulties posed by the global economic situation have also amplified the reactions of business centers, which are undergoing a period of readaptation and re-education to the current business world. “Companies once again looked from the inside out: improving processes, culture, training, staffing and technology, they continue in this line to overcome the crisis situation that the world is going through.