The showrooming is one of the reasons that more headaches awaken those responsible for physical stores. Consumers flock to its stores, glancing to see what will be found and how are they (or how you feel) products and then catch the reference and buy it online. The store must face the rush of consumers have to bear the expense be operational (and expenses ranging from light that illuminates stores until the serving staff) and then loses the main benefit of this effort. The sale takes another.
The dates of large consumption peaks are also hot periods for showrooming. A study of Tecmark just demonstrated, in fact, that during the Christmas season has doubled showrooming and have reached levels that exceed the average figures of 2014. Should therefore surrender marks the fear and feel threatened by this boom of visitors who come just to see what would later buy anywhere else?
Actually, panic never helps, especially if you consider that the showrooming can also be seen as an opportunity for shops and companies that are input their victims. They just have to turn the tables. Consumers want to see these products but do not want to buy them entry. So, why not turn that reality into a selling opportunity? Why not take advantage of high flow of visitors to a problem a business opportunity?
Attack where it hurts
One of the reasons why consumers buy online is price. They are interested to know what the product they are buying, but want to buy it for the lowest possible price. Therefore, they use their smartphones in store to compare prices and see who has the best deal. As recall in MarketingProfs, what matters most is the price and therefore is alert and watchful eye to find coupons and discounts.
Therefore, experience in store should not fight against new technologies and must not forget that what consumers are looking for on the internet is simply an excuse to buy that product (although not exactly where sellers want it). Already in the store and already have the product in their hands: to convert showrooming in a sale, you can always attack where it hurts the consumer and associate the in-store experience a series of coupons and discounts you can find on your online experience and to encourage to directly buy.
It is not the only way in which new technologies can help improve conversion showrooming. Stores can draw on geolocation technology to make personalized offers or can incorporate internet resources physical stores. Why not convert the physical store to consumers flock and just to see a showcase of what can be purchased online, yes, but in the store? That is, the physical stores can capitalize on that flow to direct visitors directly to their own electronic store.
The how is not that complicated. The products can be enriched with QR and similar codes that redirect visitors to the online store and stores can add electronic media, such as tablets available to the consumer, to help the customer to enter the online store and close the purchase. In fact, the tester of the future already incorporates some of these solutions and has become a gateway to electronic commerce. Add WiFi on site is a way to ensure that will connect to internet from the same and enter the online store of the firm.
Resources not always fail
But not only need to use the latest technology to ensure that consumers benefit from the experience of visiting the store and see products to buy: techniques always as loyalty programs or services associated with the shopping experience, are also determinants to close the process. 50% of consumers consider important (to a lesser or greater degree) programs loyalty shops and therefore take these into account in their purchasing decisions. Therefore, these tools serve to attract consumers to the store and push to buy, while adding value to what the store has or does.
Loyalty programs are, in fact, one of the main sources of data that cast big data tools to find out what they want and what consumers will want hand.
Also, stores can encourage impulse purchases and play with the pressure of the ephemeral and limited. Impulsive purchases, although internet has reduced somewhat its weight, still mark patterns and consumer behavior can be encouraged with some claims and with some elements of pressure. And also not forget that many times when the consumer goes to buy it does because I really want this product and want and something that internet still cannot really give.