The Omni-Channel Era of Retail

In their article, ‘The Digital Future of Stores’, the Internet Retailer reports that consumers have come to expect a company’s channels (including web, mobile, social media, in-store, etc.) be seamless and consistent, ushering forth what many are calling the omni-channel era of retail. The article discusses a number of emerging technologies and strategies that brick-and-mortar retailers are employing in order to stave off the threat from online retail which continues to take a bigger bite out of the pie every year. In their efforts to successfully fuse the digital and in-store experience, expect creative in-store solutions including “magic mirrors” that allow consumers to virtually try on outfits. Also expect mobile technologies to become increasingly context-aware, perhaps offering users with relevant coupons based on their particular location in a store. With all these changes coming down the line, user experience research will be an integral component in determining which concepts and strategies succeed.

-Jason Vasilas, Senior User Experience Strategist, Usability Sciences

Source: http://www.internetretailer.com/2014/03/03/digital-future-stores