Richard Seesel

The Shopping Experience Gets a Tech-Up

August 27, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Consumers don't like shopping in stores as much as they once did and that's a problem for retailers with most of their dollars invested in brick and mortar outlets. What do you think are the biggest factors leading to consumers' unhappiness shopping in stores?      [more...]

Some of the new digital apps finding their way into stores will genuinely enhance and "modernize" the shopping experience, while others are merely "fluff" and visual clutter. The sort of technology discussed recently in which Nordstrom can tie its store and website inventories together seamlessly is a great example of how tech can drive improved customer service.

But many other digital updates finding their way into stores won't solve fundamental problems of poor in-stock performance or weak customer service. Technology ought to be harnessed, first and foremost, to make the customer experience more satisfying, not just more interesting.