Both the 20th and the 21st centuries have seen significant innovations and inventions that have changed the way people lead their lives. For instance, technological innovations in the healthcare industry have gifted patients with exceptional access to quality health care thanks to telemedicine. Healthcare providers have also been equipped with advanced life-saving tools and collaborative systems like the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), predictive data and wearables. The multi-billion-dollar retail industry has also not been left behind. Regardless of whether the retailers are ready or not, the consumers have been attracted to the modern digital world and are now demanding real-time and personalized services from the retailer.
The 21st-century retailer now has more opportunities to offer a customized service to their customers and build their consumer brand experience that is critical to maintaining a loyal clientele. For instance, the retailer can track their relationship with the consumer from their first encounter using the customer relationship software (CRM). CRM enables the retailer to study the behavior patterns of their customers. With such information, the retailer can make the necessary adjustments to suit the tastes and preferences of the consumer. In this article, we are going to highlight the biggest digital trends that are transforming the retail industry.
Mobile
According to a recent study that was conducted by Google, the number of people who access the internet on a regular and daily basis using mobile devices has grown to over 40%. It is now clear that mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are the future of the digital world. People are now moving away from the traditional desktop or laptop browsing. The retailer can take advantage of this opportunity by the adoption of a mobile-armed sales staff and publishing product reviews that have been enhanced for mobile use. Google has also come up with a new algorithm for ranking websites on their Google index. Websites that have been optimized for mobile use rank higher on Google charts as compared to non-optimized sites. Mobile wearables have also carved a distinct place in the retail market.
Artificial intelligence
You cannot talk about the collection of data without mentioning artificial intelligence (AI). AI is grounded in both automation and big data analytics. Artificial intelligence is enabling retailers to understand the tastes and preferences of the consumer. This allows the retailer to anticipate the purchases and needs of their customers before they even buy anything from them. In the current world, personalization has become a very critical aspect of the retail industry.
Artificial intelligence is the technology that gives recommendations to the consumer regarding the goods and services they may want to try. It also sends coupons for commodities that the consumer has already purchased in the past. AI can also redesign the entire home page of the retailer’s website by studying the social media profiles of the consumers. AI has also replaced clunky and archaic tracking systems with buying history and real-time sensors. Such incentives allow the retailer to have a streamlined loyalty program that rewards consumers for their consistency in buying from their site.