Apparel Sale :: Can Brick-and-Mortar’s Keep Up with Internet Savvy Shoppers?

As shoppers become more Internet savvy, brick-and-mortar stores are scrambling to maintain their offline apparel sale numbers.  Is the Internet really that powerful? To completely change the way we shop? 

Well, of course it is.

While the Internet has not completely destroyed the sales of traditional store fronts, it has had a major impact on consumers shopping behavior.  And stores are scrambling to keep up and give their customers the same speed, control, and convenience that online shopping affords them.

So, what are major retailers doing about it?  For one, they’re updating their technology and giving customers the option to search for inventory the moment they walk in the door.  Customers can find out right away if an item is available, where it’s located, and it’s price; viola, shopping time is cut by more than 50%.

Stores like Best Buy are making sure their employees are able to answer any question that any Google-happy customer might answer.  Circuit City and Wal-Mart are helping their most impatient customers by offering the option of picking up online purchases, right in the store.  In fact, Circuit City has done one better and tell their customers their item will be ready for pickup in 24 minutes; if it’s not, they get a $24 gift card to the store. As an added bonus, if you get customers in store to pick-up merchandise, you get an extra opportunity to upsell them on accessories for their new gadgets.  Wal-Mart reports that last spring, they saw a "20% increase in the number of costumers that spent an extra $60 during pick-up."

But the true winner of customer focused shopping technology might just be Bloom supermarkets, who are owned by Food Lion.  They have created "learning labs" within their stores and constantly sought customer feedback since opening their doors.  They’ve now implemented a system that allows customers to pick up a bag and a hand-held scanner at the door. As they pick-up items, they scan them and drop them in their bag; when they arrive at the checkout, they dock the scanner at a self-service kiosk, pay for their items and head home to cook dinner.  How much more control can you give someone?  Although Bloom does not disclose their loss prevention measures, I have to believe that they have something in place to keep people from walking off with more than they’ve paid for.

Whatever way retailers choose to keep up with technology, they know they need to do it, and do it fast.  In other coutries, such as China, there is a new phenomenon called "mob shopping."  These are sites that find mass consumers interested in one product, and then negotiate the best possible price for the "mob."  With the hordes of Americans that love to shop, it won’t be long before they’re demanding the same kind of option.