“Customers expect you to meet them where they are, not where you want them to be.”
That was one of many great takeaways from the Magento Imagine 2017 session, “A Cut Above: How REEDS Merged the Digital & In-Store Worlds.” Mark DeCausmeaker, Director of Multi-Channel Sales at REEDS Jewelers, delivered the presentation.
A look at some of the company’s considerations and approaches in merging digital and in-store:
Key question: For online retailers with brick-and-mortar stores: how do you grow one side of the business without cannibalizing the other?
- 65 to 75% of shoppers conduct research online before buying
- Social media offers huge opportunities
- The best customers shop in store and online
- Sales associates are key to tightening the connection between channels
In-Store Challenges
Sales associates concerned that:
- Cannabalizes store sales
- Consumes more inventory
- Impacts commissions
The company launched a Facebook page and listened to customers. The audience grew from 5K to 50K followers in one year.
What they needed:
- a plan to support WHO and how many people are going to respond to customer Facebook comments, requests, etc.
- executive support to drive social agenda or it wouldn’t work
Email Acquisitions
Not getting traction- most email addresses filled out were:
- N/a
- Bogus email
They changed their mobile site so that the screen, no matter the device, created the illusion of full screen.
Conversions increased 35% YoY
- Customers need a single voice
- Same touch points
- Reduce internal friction for omni-channel
- Leverage channels
My colleague Drew Gritzmacher attended another success-story session at Magento Imagine 2017. Check out his blog post here.
