从业者指南_2018零售业数字化转型（英文版）

Digital Transformation in the Retail Sector 2018 Summary

Core Content

Digital transformation is reshaping the retail industry by leveraging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud computing, and Virtual Reality (VR)/Augmented Reality (AR). These innovations are redefining customer experiences, making them more personalized, mobile-centric, and immersive.

Main Trends and Technologies

1. Getting Personal

• Objective: Deliver tailored experiences to customers based on their preferences and behaviors.
• Challenges: Real-time contextual understanding of customer interactions, which involves location, past behavior, purchase occasion, browsing history, and social activity.
• Data Sources: Online and offline interactions, social media, loyalty programs, and third-party data.
• Outcome: Retailers must use this data to make relevant and timely offers, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Providing a Unified Retail Experience

• Objective: Offer a consistent and seamless experience across all sales channels (online and offline).
• Key Elements: Consistency in product selection, pricing, offers, promotions, and messaging.
• Customer Expectations: Real-time access to product availability, order status, shipment tracking, and return/refund information.
• Implementation: Integrated, composite business processes that can be executed and monitored by employees, partners, and customers.

3. Making Mobile the Center of the Customer Journey

• Objective: Integrate mobile into every stage of the customer journey.
• Usage Cases: Mobile-armed sales staff, mobile-responsive websites, and in-store app-based promotions.
• Statistics: 82% of smartphone users consult their phones while making purchase decisions.
• Impact: Mobile devices like smartphones and apps are essential for modern retail, enabling features such as scanning products, accessing promotions, and engaging with brands.

4. Delivering an Immersive Customer Experience

• Objective: Create rich, engaging experiences that connect with the iGen generation.
• Technologies: VR and AR are being used to simulate product experiences without physical interaction.
• Examples:
  • Rebecca Minkoff: Uses smart mirrors and walls to suggest complementary products.
  • VR Applications: Allows customers to "try on" items or inspect products in a virtual environment.
• Potential: These technologies are expected to revolutionize how products are experienced and purchased, especially for remote customers.

5. Gathering Deeper Insights Using Advanced Data Analytics

• Objective: Use data to understand customer behavior and improve business decisions.
• Sources: Transactional records, browsing history, and social media engagement.
• Benefits: Enables retailers to detect and predict trends, improve conversion rates, personalize campaigns, and reduce churn.
• Example: Fashion brands can analyze Instagram photos to identify trends and adjust their product lines accordingly.

Key Technologies to Watch

• Internet of Things (IoT): IoT devices like beacons, RFID tags, and smart shopping carts are enhancing personalization and operational efficiency. Juniper Research predicts that the number of connected retail devices will grow from 2.7 billion in 2016 to over 12 billion by 2021.
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): These technologies are bridging the gap between online and in-store shopping, allowing customers to experience products virtually.
• Cloud Computing: Retailers are using the cloud for scalability, flexibility, and data-driven decision-making. It supports product creation, inventory management, and seamless mobile experiences.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI is enabling predictive analytics, personalized recommendations, and automated customer engagement, such as loyalty rewards and real-time offers.

Popular E-Commerce Platforms

References

1. Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Sales Forecast
2. Digital Transformation in Retail
3. Top Five Digital Transformation Trends in Retail
4. Mobile's Role in Retail
5. Power of Immersive Experiences
6. Retail Tomorrow
7. Big Data Use Cases in Retail
8. Big Data Drives Luxury Brands Growth
9. Virtual Showrooming in Retail
10. Cloud Computing in Retail
11. Top Seven E-Commerce Platforms

About Regalix

Regalix is a company that helps businesses acquire and retain customers through technology and human intelligence. It specializes in the retail, ad-tech, and hi-tech sectors, delivering seamless customer experiences in a subscription-based economy. Regalix has offices in Silicon Valley, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.regalix.com.