After some turbulent years, and mumblings about the retail apocalypse and such, it’s time to look ahead. We dust off the crystal ball (and ourselves), collecting input from the past years, and try to predict the future.
What will be the opportunities and possibilities for retail in 2022 and beyond?
Here are our future retail predictions:
Interaction is king!
People have adapted to web shopping and sitting on their couches. The pandemic has caused an online shopping boom, forcing everyone and their grandmother to shop from home. Convenient, yes. But it has also made us truly appreciate interacting with great salespeople in physical retail stores.
Future retail prediction 1:
People are hungry for human interaction and meaningful conversations – also in their shopping experiences. When we actually venture out of our homes, we want and expect to meet knowledgeable and service-minded salespeople who really know their stuff.
The value of brand values
The knowledge we seek does not only concern technical product details and specs (although this is of course key as well). Brand values are a concept that has gone behind buzzwords and motivational video content. Values are now a part of the buying decision.
Photo by Cédric Frixon on Unsplash
Future retail prediction 2:
As customers we expect brands to deliver on ethics and sustainability. When confronting a salesperson on a brand’s standpoint in these areas, we expect answers. Good answers can make or break a sale. That means salespeople need to be educated on brand values – so make sure to include them in your training!
Retain workforce
The pandemic has led to a massive drain on workers in low-entry jobs. Retail is one of them. While it’s the retailers’ job to take good care of their staff, brands can and should contribute to making that job easier. As a brand, you create valuable relations with retailers by helping them teach, motivate and retain staff without extra cost or labor for either of you.
It’s a win-win-win. Learn more about how MevoApp helps you in that operation – Book your free demo today!
Future retail prediction 3:
Retailers will up their game in order to keep turnover low. Making sure staff get the motivation and knowledge they need to perform and deliver quality customer service, is the way to get there.
Customer service FTW
Speaking of customer service, this has never been more important. Not only in physical retail, but at every touchpoint in a diverse shopping experience.
As the line between online, in-store, and social media blends, people will ask your brand questions when they look to buy. Do your customer service chat operators, social media managers and store clerks have the same knowledge?
Future retail prediction 4:
As habits change and most retailers, brands and shoppers adapt, it will be survival of the most customer-friendly. That’s why brands should make sure to build training programs that are easy, quick and accessible from day 1.
Don’t overcomplicate things, but streamline a setup that includes the most important basics about your brand, culture and products as an introduction. Follow up with small, bite-sized chunks of information to make sure everyone stays up to date and feels included and seen.
Learn more about how you can create fun and easy-access training with MevoApp!