Will E-Commerce be ever able to match In-store shopping experience
Over the last 5 years variety of e-commerce platforms are trying to cater to each of these shopping needs but most of them are offering similar experiences. Instead of trying to offer category specific experience all of them are trying to catch consumer attention using deals and discounts and that too on big ticket items which actually deserve planned shopping experience.
Brick & mortar to click & mortar: Convenience steers sales
Food has always been one of the largest segments of retail. As much as 42% of the Indian retail industry is dedicated to food. It holds similar market shares internationally and is also the largest growing segment. After all, we think about food at least three times a day, if not more. We wonder what […]
Add a dash of tech to retail loyalty
One of the better known hypermarkets is aggressively advertising its new partnership with a loyalty programme. It’s also offering bonus rewards. It seems a very attractive scheme and I wanted to know what sort of impact this had made on customers. So, last Friday I decided to visit one of these stores in Pune. There […]
Mastering new channels for enhanced shopping experiences
Shopping has never been more exciting than it is now for the modern Indian consumer. There is a lot more to shop for, a larger choice of products and services, as well as different ways in which we can shop. We are moving away from the traditional and are looking forward to new shopping experiences. […]
Simple ways to make shopping a pleasant experience
Over the weekend, I decided to visit a few stores of different formats, looking for situations that could put me off shopping or even make me feel like never visiting those stores again. I’ve always believed that it’s much less expensive to retain existing customers than to attract new ones. Identifying negative shopping experiences is […]
Customer joy, not sales is the key to retail success
Most modern retailers rely on simple logic to measure their success: if sales are up, business must be doing well. What they don’t consider is, you don’t have to do much to grow in India today. Modern retail accounts for 4-5% of overall trade while the number of consumers who want to shop in this […]
India’s retail story: 15 years on still groping in the dark
It’s been more than 15 years since the start of modern retail in India and by now, it should have attained maturity. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere close to the global standards. This could be because of lack of skills or expertise, but it could also be because the Indian market is so big that major players […]
CRM (customer relationship management) is more than technology
Retailers understand in theory that customer relationship management (CRM) is the foundation of profitable retailing. Key aspects of this are customer value, customer care and customer retention. Most modern retailers have formally adopted loyalty schemes, and consumers are likely to have a collection of loyalty cards in their wallets. However, loyalty is an emotional bond, […]
Retailers need a consumer-centric business strategy
The current global economic slowdown seems to be creating panic across industries, no less in retail. Like all other sectors, retailers also seem to be working on controlling operational costs.The downturn has given them a great opportunity to enhance basket value and the shopping experience of consumers Recruitments are frozen; organisational structure and business strategy […]
A smile can make all the difference
Store staffers should be more focussed on their customersThe decision by the Jet Airways management to sack thousands of customer-facing staffers justifies the perception that the Indian service industry is driven by sheer numbers rather than competence and aptitude to deliver quality service to customers. When service sectors face growth challenges, companies begin to focus […]