Merging channels meets consumer demand
Your innovation update about retail (MWlinks.co.uk/ Outdoors) highlights how the consumer buying cycle is changing. The journey a consumer goes on when deciding to make a purchase is no longer linear, and may touch both the on and offline world several times before making a purchase.
We see this new breed of consumer as the ‘information shopper’ and brands must ensure that they have exposure on all channels to meet their demands.
Affiliate marketing offers multiple touchpoints for customers, while encouraging buyers to purchase. As shopping becomes increasingly multichannel, there are opportunities for exciting innovation, and John Lewis’ ‘gift wall’ technology is a great example of this.
In a similar vein, fashion brand Crew Clothing now has an iPad in every store so that shop assistants can complete customers’ orders. For Crew Clothing, the iPad is an extension of the website as well as the physical store, enabling it to offer customers access to all channels from one central point.
Mark Haviland
Managing director
Rakuten LinkShare UK
