What happens in the store shouldn’t stay in the store, a new study commissioned by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions concludes. Significant disconnects between physical and digital commerce, and store and corporate leadership, are among the key barriers to improving the customer experience, the study conducted by Forrester Consulting for Toshiba has found.
That effort, which surveyed 346 high-volume store leaders and corporate level customer experience decision-makers, shows a pressing need for retailers to create more effective ways to generate customer data and insight from in-store shopping and to align their physical and digital commerce strategies and deployments.
Respondents report that an inability to digitize in-store customer data, outdated systems and a lack of tools to share insights and operational data are among the barriers to improving the in-store shopping experience.
Some specific findings along those lines:
- 54 percent say systems are outdated and not connected.
- 60 percent report too many disparate systems and tools hinder a cohesive view of their customers and operations.
- 79 percent believe that corporate management does not prioritize unifying stores with digital commerce
Despite these challenges, the study revealed a crucial consensus among the participants: leveraging a new generation of A.I.-driven tools to synchronize physical and digital commerce has the potential to significantly empower store teams and lead to improving and evolving the customer experience.
Some specific findings related to that topic:
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- 94 percent of respondents reported that incorporating customer data into the store is very or extremely impactful to the customer experience.
- 91 percent said that their leadership currently sees those experiences as separate.
Click here for more about the survey.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
