Dassault Systèmes Expert Adds Insight to "New Directions in Shopper Te

The Shopper Technology Institute is a trade organization that helps retailers and manufacturers engage with the customers, analyze their behavior, and ultimately help them harness new technology to create a better shopping experience for the customer, along with better sales for the vendor. They’ve compiled 19 essays from an all-star cast of retail industry experts and published them as a book titled “New Directions in Shopper Technology.”Dassault Systèmes’ own Eric Seiberling contributed a chapter in his recent role as Global Marketing Director for the Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail Industry.

Eric’s chapter, titled “Evolving from Product Warehouses to Retail Experiences” is now available for free download from our Consumer Packaged Goods Resource Center. It’s a great overview of how retailers can use technology – including our Perfect Shelf immersive 3D shelf layout solution – to create an in-store experience that keeps shoppers coming back. For example, Eric explains the concept of “showrooming” and how retailers struggle to prevent sales from walking out their door:

“That is when shoppers scope out products at a local retailer, compare prices online using mobile devices in the store, and then buy them from the cheapest source. In some ways, it is like a legal form of shoplifting. The retail store does all of the work, yet online retailers get the benefits.”

So what’s a retailer to do? Eric points to several studies that show grocery store chains that have high ratings on the “consumer delight index” have fared better than retailers that offer lower prices, but lower customer satisfaction.It means that to combat a marketplace saturated by low prices and online purchase options, a retailer needs to differentiate themselves through the in-store experience they offer to the customer.

“Retailers must differentiate themselves in the marketplace both against brick-and-mortar stores and online competitors. This requires a change from a warehouse mentality for products to creating shopping experiences for their consumers. Retailers need to have a deep understanding of the target shopper and their needs, and then design the right mix of pricing, products and experience to meet them.”

The chapter goes on to cite numerous examples and third-party studies that demonstrate the value of the customer experience. It also discusses how Dassault Systèmes Perfect Shelf can help retailers create the ideal assortment of products and make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for…which adds up to an experience that keeps them coming back. I can cite personal experience…I’m a native of Upstate NY, and yes, I LOVE Wegmans. The in-store experience is a big reason why legions of fellow Wegmans fans will drive past other stores to buy their groceries.To learn more about how the customer experience is key to retail survival, download Eric Seiberling’s chapter or purchase the book today.