Consumers Love Online but Still Prefer Shopping at Bricks and Mortar
You know there’s a big retail real estate trend brewing when Amazon, the premier pure play online retailer, announces a plan to open 300-plus book stores. Yes, that’s stores, as in bricks-and-mortar establishments. Market tests of on-campus locations and pop-ups in major cities preceded their February 4 announcement. Amazon’s move is an important indicator of the increasing success of omnichannel and an acknowledgment of the role of the physical store in branding and building sales in concert with online and social media. But the successful bricks-and-mortar establishments of the new omnichannel era we’re doing business in are not your grandpa’s retail store. Read on for a quick glimpse of what’s happening and what’s ahead.
The Traditional Store is Morphing into an Omnichannel Hub
As a leading retail real estate company and one of the top construction management firms in the Northeast, Levin is excited about the coming changes in store design. And, of course, we’re pleased that bricks-and-mortar establishments continue to be favored by America’s shoppers. (Over 90 percent of the transactions in December 2015, in fact, took place in a store, according to the ICSC). http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/icsc-omnichannel-wins-physical-stores-epicenter
As one ingredient in the omnichannel mix, stores now and in the future will have to offer more than just physical access to merchandise. Today’s consumers tend to have pre-shopped online and expect the store to be just one element in a seamless purchasing experience. Store design and construction will have to accommodate “click and collect” purchases made online and picked up in-store, plus returns and exchanges – that means easy in-and-out and space to hold pre-ordered merchandise. The demand for same-day delivery will have implications for parking and loading vehicles.
Information-on-Demand and an “Entertaining” Environment: Retail Real Estate Trends to Watch
Omnichannel shoppers expect web-supported shopping. That means kiosks and touch screens that let them check product availability and place orders, plus store associates with tablets to provide up-to-the-minute information and hassle-free checkouts. As a model store environment, think Apple.
Virtual fitting rooms and same-day delivery are predicted to shrink the selling floor, with more space going to lounges for food and beverage services that rank high, especially with Millennial shoppers. Since omnichannel shoppers prize the VIP treatment, expect to see more sensors, beacons and other electronics that will allow a retailer to deliver coupons and points to mobile phones and direct shoppers to merchandise based on their purchasing profiles. Retailers on the leading edge of omnichannel have already introduced these in-store features. Take a look at Crate & Barrel, Nordstrom, Starbucks, and Top Shop to name a few. Expect more to come. https://erply.com/case-study-how-you-can-copy-nordstroms-secrets-to-massive-retail-success/ and http://insider-trends.com/why-omnichannel-is-the-elusive-holy-grail-of-retail-and-three-retailers-who-have-found-it/
No Longer a Secondary Player, Logistics are Now Key to Omnichannel Retailing
Click and collect and in-store online ordering, both with demand for same-day delivery, have placed new importance on logistics. Warehouses and distribution centers will need to be in closer proximity to stores. Some retail real estate trend watchers predict that large warehouses will become the hub, with smaller centers near stores serving as the spokes in the delivery wheel. The possibility that retailers may supplement their flagships with pop-ups or small specialized boutiques will mean further logistical challenges. http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/new-retail-strategies-its-a-store-its-a-site-its-a-warehouse/
Warehouses, whatever their size or location, are facing changes driven by the fulfillment of small individual orders with quick turnaround. The impact on IT, employee levels, building design and configuration, and transport are massive, along with the need for acreage in densely populated areas. Retail real estate and construction management are certain to feel the effect of these changes in logistics.
Every Step in Omnichannel Leads to Another Step
The convergence of the virtual and the physical in retailing is just the beginning. As that blend is achieved, new doors are opening. Retailers and the businesses that service them will have to walk through those to succeed in the evolving and complex world of multichannel.
