RETAILERS THAT ENABLE mobile commerce while also skilfully enabling customers to move easily between different sales channels are today at the forefront of cross-channel commerce. By making it easy and convenient for shoppers to purchase – and then take delivery of – their goods, these retailers are boosting both revenues and customer numbers.
It’s now well recognised that traders selling through a variety of well-connected channels find that shoppers spend much more. Customers do this because the service they’re being offered suits them and the way that they live. It’s a service that appreciates and allows for the fact that, for many people, their ideal shopping experience is different every day. The retailers that we’re celebrating in this, our second IRUK 500 Performance Dimension Report, on the theme of Mobile and Cross-channel, are those that are developing customer-first strategies as they adapt to our changing behaviour.
In this report we analyse how retailers are handling this evolution. We do that by looking at the latest thinking underpinning cross-channel retail and focusing in on examples of real-world best practice. We begin by offering a strategic overview of this Dimension, and then we offer an in-depth analysis of our research. In addition, we also share highlights from our latest research.
Then we connect to practical issues through interviews and case studies. We speak to Vikki Kirby, group communications manager at Home Retail Group, parent company of Elite retailer Argos, to learn more about its transformation strategy as the company looks to anticipate changing consumer habits. We look in detail at the mobile and cross-channel services offered by retailers judged Elite and Leading in our study (Boots, Evans, JD Sports and House of Fraser) before focusing in on 12 practical approaches that leading retailers take. In a feature on emerging practice we look at how the store will be reshaped by digital technologies in the future.
We’d like to thank all our Knowledge Partners in this Dimension Report. In the months ahead, we’ll be turning to the remaining four performance dimensions explored in IRUK 500, 2015. We welcome your thoughts on new areas of research as we add to our primary data and analysis. Please email: research@internetretailing.net
Jonathan Wright and Chloe Rigby
Editors
Thanks to dimension sponsor Bronto for supporting this report.
