Currently, the retail industry is undergoing a profound shift. Price and product are no longer enough — modern consumers value seamless experiences across multiple devices and touchpoints.

Multichannel retail, which refers to the consumer’s ability to interact with your business with various channels independently, such as a mobile device, a website or a retail location, has evolved into omnichannel retail, which goes a step further by providing the consumer a seamless experience between each one.

In order to fully understand omnichannel, it’s important to know who is driving this shift, and address some common misconceptions about retail in this new era of digital innovations.

Millennials are driving this profound shift

Millennials have now surpassed Baby Boomers as the dominant demographic, and have brought with them a greater level of tech-savviness and different expectations. This new breed of consumers are connected to devices and data, comfortable moving across a myriad of media channels and are more informed than ever before. In fact, 81% of shoppers conduct online research before a purchase is made.

Retailers who create personalized, catered experiences that enable consumers to seamlessly transition from the online and offline worlds will thrive the most in the next ten years.

Stores are the heart of digital experience

Despite the popular belief that technology holds all the answers for retailing, the future of retail is solidly anchored in physical stores.

Brick-and-mortar stores provide consumers with a sensory experience that allows them to touch and feel products, immerse themselves in brand experiences and engage with sales associates who provide tips and reaffirm the consumer’s enthusiasm for their new purchases. It’s not physical or digital, it’s physical with the digital.

According to a study by A.T. Kearney:

• 95% of all retail sales are captured by retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence,

• Two-thirds of consumers who purchase online use the store before and after the transaction, and

• Physical stores help retailers drive online sales.

The time to embrace change is now

Over the next few years, we’re going to see the retail landscape undergo dramatic changes. Retailers will need to use technology to create seamless shopping experiences and positive in-store encounters to meet the needs of modern consumers, who demand and expect it.

An excellent way to prepare for this change is to empower your associates with product knowledge and system-based training. We invite you to check out our custom content services and contact us. Our team is excited to show you what we do can to help you gain that competitive edge with custom training solutions!

Jessica Arenz brings out the best of both worlds as an Instructional Designer and Marketing Executive at Webanywhere. She’s passionate about proper brand messaging and retail training and development. Throughout her career she has worked on eLearning for companies like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger and Saks Fifth Avenue, to name a few. Jessica is one of many talented individuals on our team ready to collaborate with you on your next learning solution.

The post Understanding Omnichannel: The Future of Retail appeared first on Webanywhere.

Currently, the retail industry is undergoing a profound shift. Price and product are no longer enough — modern consumers value seamless experiences across multiple devices and touchpoints.

Multichannel retail, which refers to the consumer’s ability to interact with your business with various channels independently, such as a mobile device, a website or a retail location, has evolved into omnichannel retail, which goes a step further by providing the consumer a seamless experience between each one.

In order to fully understand omni-channel, it’s important to know who is driving this shift, and address some common misconceptions about retail in this new era of digital innovations.

Millennials are driving this profound shift

Millennials have now surpassed Baby Boomers as the dominant demographic, and have brought with them a greater level of tech-savviness and different expectations. This new breed of consumers are connected to devices and data, comfortable moving across a myriad of media channels and more informed than ever before. In fact, 81% of shoppers conduct online research before a purchase is made.

Retailers who create personalized, catered experiences that enable consumers to seamlessly transition from the online and offline worlds will thrive the most in the next ten years.

Stores are the heart of digital experience

Despite the popular belief that technology holds all the answers for retailing, the future of retail is solidly anchored in physical stores.

Brick-and-mortar stores provide consumers with a sensory experience that allows them to touch and feel products, immerse themselves in brand experiences and engage with sales associates who provide tips and reaffirm the consumer’s enthusiasm for their new purchases. It’s not physical or digital, it’s physical with the digital.

According to a study by A.T. Kearney:

• 95% of all retail sales are captured by retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence,
• Two-thirds of consumers who purchase online use the store before and after the transaction, and
• Physical stores help retailers drive online sales.

The time to embrace change is now

Over the next few years, we’re going to see the retail landscape undergo dramatic changes. Retailers will need to use technology to create seamless shopping experiences and positive in-store encounters to meet the needs of modern consumers, who demand and expect it.

With the right strategy, an excellent way to prepare for this change is to empower your associates with product knowledge and system-based training. We invite you to check out our custom content services and contact us. Our team is excited to show you what we do can to help you gain that competitive edge with custom training solutions![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Understanding Omnichannel: The Future of Modern Retail appeared first on Webanywhere.

Why is this?

Well.. it could be a range of factors.

For example, many retailers with store locations have high churn rates and a younger population.  This younger workforce is demanding new modes of delivery for their learning and valuing it more than ever.

Another factor is the type of learning we like to consume these days,  affected in our everyday lives byt he use of social media websites and fast news feeds.

We simply don’t have time (or the attention span) to focus on a learning activity for more than a few minutes.  Even the famous TED talks are becoming too lengthy for people!

Finally, the learning experience has become more and more personalised to individuals. Clever technologies are employed such as machine learning where the platform learns more about you as you click.  Think about how Netflix or Ebay picks up more about you when you access their websites more offering you new content …

Earlier this year, Josh Bersin coined these new generation platforms for learning technology as ‘learner experience platforms.’  Ever since this, numerous elearning companies are promoting their own elearning experience which is … different.

Is the LMS really at the end of the road?

Unfortunately many businesses still require compliance training, often repeatable at certain points during the year.  This drives, on scale particularly for larger enterprise corporate entities, over 100,000 employees which equals a lot of their training.

For example, in the UK the Financial Conduct Authority audits many corporates to ensure they comply with set standards.  This is where the LMS is in full play, often providing a blended learning programme for huge numbers of people.  Without this, there would be a huge administration overhead.

Why would you open a can of beans with a spoon?

So the approach of a new ‘experience platform’ is not to replace the LMS, instead it’s to complement.

At Webanywhere, we have provided numerous projects to our clients where they are looking for a platform for different audiences.  So, we generally provide a LMS (Totara) along with our experience platform Promatum.

How does this all relate to retail?

Retail is fast-paced, often about sales and product knowledge in store to drive efficiency and numbers.

The experience platform is really useful in this area as it can provide personalised, mobile content, when you need it.  We can also leverage the 70:20:10 method of learning, particularly the 70% on the job as the experience platform is integrated into the customer experience, for example, through effective questions of a new customer in store.

It’s important to understand the context here if you are reading this coming from a retail background.

The LMS will still exist. It will still have a requirement (especially in the compliance world).  The social learning comes into play with the experience platforms, as Bersin comments.

Very close to the style of learning from a experience platform, is a communications platform.  This is different.

For example, all the ‘new in class’ enterprise collaboration platforms like Yammer, Slack, Salesforce Chatter and Facebook for Work are all for communications.  It could be argued there is an overlap between the two.

For example, within a ecosystem like Slack, an employee could post a question, a colleague could then comment on this and provide a link to a useful resource … this is all learning and social.

The challenge for the ‘new in class’ enterprise collaboration platforms is that they have not been designed for learning.

This is where you need to be careful

If you are using enterprise collaboration platforms for learning, then they are becoming bent for another purpose.  Instead, focus on what they are good at, communication.  Yes … you got it, they are all trying to reduce your inbox from over 100 emails every day!

The experience learning space is an interesting one and growing fast.

Many large corporates such as Caterpillar, Visa, Sears and GE are already using them.  But these haven’t necessarily replaced their LMS, instead they are complementing them.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”CLICK HERE TO GET IN TOUCH” style=”custom” custom_background=”#81d742″ custom_text=”#ffffff” shape=”round” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.webanywhere.com%2Fcontact-us%2F”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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This can have a really negative effect on your other customers and your colleagues.

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) define work-related violence as ‘any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.’ This can include verbal abuse or threats as well as physical attacks.

According to the International Business Times, 56% of UK retail staff were subject to such  over the past couple of years which clearly shows that this is a major problem affecting the retail sector.

Employers

An assault can lead to poor morale and a poor image for your organisation, making it difficult to recruit and keep staff. Absenteeism, higher insurance premiums and compensation payments can lead to higher costs in the long-term.

Employees

An assault can cause pain, distress and even disability or death. Physical attacks are obviously dangerous but serious or persistent verbal abuse or threats can also damage employees’ health through anxiety or stress.

Employers: The law

There are 5 pieces of legislation which affect retailers:

• The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) – Employers have a legal duty under this act to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – Employers must assess the risks to employees and make arrangements for their health and safety..

• The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) – Employers must notify their enforcing authority in the event of an accident at work to any employee resulting in death, major injury or incapacity for normal work for three or more consecutive days.

• Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (a) and The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (b) Employers must inform, and consult with, employees in good time on matters relating to their health and safety. Employee representatives, either appointed by recognised trade unions under (a) or elected under (b) may make representations to their employer on matters affecting the health and safety of those they represent.

In order for employers to keep their staff safe and happy at work and also abide by their legal obligations, they must provide comprehensive training for their staff to avoid a potential conflict.

How can I roll out training to help my staff manage angry customers?

There are many training models you could follow from traditional classroom methods to elearning or an approach which involves a blend of the two.

The important thing to remember is that any training needs to be relevant and engage the user in order that they complete the training objectives.

A recipe for a blended learning approach could include the following elements in your module.

• Understanding conflict
• Common causes of conflict
• Body language
• Defusing a conflict
• Dealing with aggressive behaviour
• Communication
• Escalation procedure
• Your company policy

Suggested steps to for employees to deal with conflict

1. Remain calm – when a customer starts yelling or being otherwise rude maintain control of yourself, even if the customer’s tirade makes you feeling like yelling yourself.
2. Don’t take it personally – the customer is not angry with you, they are displeased with the performance of your product or the quality of the service you provide.
3. Use your best listening skills – when an angry customer vents, they need someone to listen. Hear them out. Body language can be critically important here. Keep eye contact. Stand or sit up straight. Keep your arms uncrossed.  Show how closely you’re paying attention to their problem.
4. Actively sympathise – post vent, express sympathy for their unpleasant customer experience. Respect and understanding go a long way toward smoothing things over.
5. Apologise gracefully – whether the customer’s complaint is legitimate or not is really irrelevant.Express an apology for the problem they are having (or perceive to be having).
6. Find a solution – ask them what they feel should be done or put forward your own fair and realistic answer to the problem. In most cases, that’s all the customer is looking for—and may result in providing some degree of satisfaction.
7. Take a time out – after the situation has been resolved and the customer is on their way, you could experience lingering stress. Take a short walk, treat yourself to a snack or find someone to talk to who makes you laugh.

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1. Staff retention

Staff turnover in the retail sector is one of the highest with an average of 40%, and with the cost of hiring and training a new recruit reaching several thousands pounds, it is vital for organisations to retain their staff. Well trained employees who understand the products and processes before they are let loose on the shop floor are more likely to understand their responsibilities, be happier and therefore stay longer. eLearning is an easy, engaging and cost effective way to onboard and train new employees.

2. Instant training

Online training allows staff to immediately access training materials on new products, sales campaigns and flash promotions whenever they need it. Prior to elearning, head offices had to prepare and print training materials and book time out of the working day to provide face-to-face training. However, with the advent of online training, staff can now be kept up-to-date quickly and efficiently at the touch of a button saving weeks of preparation and increasing staff knowledge instantly.

3. Increased customer satisfaction

Customers are more likely to buy a product from well informed staff. If the sales staff know the products, their features and benefits, and they share this knowledge with the customers, then they’ll have more confidence to buy. The same goes with customer service skills. Customers will go back to a shop and offer repeat business if they have received good service.

Mobile learning also brings added value as staff can easily and instantly access information on the floor giving them the ability to advise the customers at once, again increasing customer satisfaction levels.

4. More efficient and less costly training strategy

The use of elearning means the need for printed material, on-site trainers and off-site training days is greatly reduced, bringing down the training budget which can then be spent on higher quality content. Additionally, staff are more likely to be more engaged with the course and retain the information more effectively as they can carry out the training at their own pace and where they want (home, break room, bus…). The content of the courses can also be fully tailored to each individual or job role so that staff do not have to sit through courses they don’t relate to.

5. Elearning games (gamification) for optimal engagement

Utilising games in elearning content increase staff’s engagement, completion rates and retention of information and they are particularly popular with the younger employees. In the shape of very short fast-paced modules, they also allow employees to be trained quickly preventing them to be “off the floor” for too long which is encouraged by sales managers.

6. Social Learning

eLearning platforms can be used for social learning where staff can share their experience and knowledge, upload photos and videos and learn from one another. If a new shop window in Manchester is bringing a lot of customers through the door, staff can share a photo of their work on the social platform for other shops to implement. Webanywhere has created a video based learning platform for Inditex, the brand owner of Zara, allowing staff to share best practice. You can read the case study here.

If you are in the retail sector and you think that elearning could help with your daily challenges, contact us now to discuss your requirements.

Source:
https://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/hanging-tough-how-the-retail-sector-is-weathering-the-storm-1669029.html
https://elearningindustry.com/get-retail-elearning[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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