As retail channels fragment more and more, direct to consumer retail is set to fill the gap in shoppers lives as it can drive better personalisation and make consumers feel like they are part of something.
So finds a study by the CMO Club and Epsilon-Conversant, which suggests that many B2C retailers are starting to see their sales eroded by D2C-ers eating their lunch.
Being more customer-centric and more personalised is of strong appeal to many shoppers, especially Gen-Z, which now expects that sort of interaction. They also like to associate with brands that make the shopper feel they are part of something good.
The move is echoed by a growing swell of shoppers opting to shop with independent stores that offer a more trendy and unique players – both in the high street and online.
These ‘bouji’ –modern slang for bourgeoisie – stores are showing that not only are D2C brands driving a swell in ecommerce, but that shoppers are looking for something different and less commoditised.
This has become especially true in the run up to Christmas, where younger shoppers are returning to stores to find unique gifts and to get inspiration.
And this is where growth is going to come from for many etailers. Tapping into the joint drivers of personalisation, uniqueness and the ability to shop online and in-store is key. Creating not only an experience, but also offering something that is unique and tells a story.
Part of the drive to do this comes from social media and social media influencers, which are also becoming a key driver of growth. While some believe that personalisation is dying off as a key driver of marketing (it isn’t), no one can deny that social media influencer marketing is on the rise and will be one of the key marketing trends in 2020.
Combining this with a D2C offering that ‘tells a story’ that appeals on a personal level and inspires is the paradigm of modern marketing for growth in the year ahead.
