Background
At The Expert Community, we pride ourselves on helping businesses navigate the world of retail and e-commerce. Our client’s Fashion Store, a popular brick-and-mortar fashion retailer, approached us with a major challenge, something regarding in-store technology.
They were struggling to bridge the gap between their in-store and online shopping experiences. The goal? To create a seamless, engaging experience for both in-store shoppers and their growing e-commerce customer base.
They had an ace in the hole, a loyal customer base that loved shopping in-store but the online experience wasn’t living up to the hype. Customers shopping on the e-commerce site were finding the digital experience a bit… lacking, to say the least. Something had to change.
That’s when they called in the experts. That’s us!
The Challenge
The fashion store had already invested in an e-commerce platform, but customers reported it felt disconnected from the in-store experience they had grown to love. People loved visiting their shops in person because of the personal attention, easy navigation, and tactile feel of the clothes. Online, however, it was just a bland, transactional website.
They wanted to use in-store technology to bridge this gap, utilizing it to enhance customer engagement online and offline. But how? They were stumped, and so were we… until we rolled up our sleeves and put on our thinking caps.
Our Approach
After diving deep into their in-store setup and analyzing their e-commerce stats, we identified several key opportunities where the two experiences could intersect. We worked closely with our client’s fashion store’s leadership and tech team to create a plan of action that would knock customers’ socks off in-store and online.
Here’s what we did with online and in-store technology ideas:
1. Virtual Try-On Technology
Customers love trying on clothes. They love the feel, the fit, and the excitement of seeing themselves in a killer outfit. But online shoppers were missing out on this magic.
So, we introduced Virtual Try-On Technology on the website, which let users get a 3D feel of the clothes—just like in-store!
We even connected the virtual try-on feature to the in-store experience, so customers could “save” their favorites and then try them on for real when they visited the store.
2. In-Store Kiosks Linked to Online Accounts
In-store kiosks are nothing new, but we gave them a facelift. By linking in-store kiosks to customers’ online accounts, we allowed customers to browse products they may have seen online, check for stock availability, and even get personalized recommendations based on their online browsing history. It was like online shopping, but in person—how cool is that?
3. Personalized Offers Using Customer Data
We all love a good deal, don’t we? Using customer data from online purchases and store visits, we helped fashion stores set up personalized in-store offers that pop up on customers’ phones as soon as they enter the store. Imagine walking into your favorite shop and instantly getting a notification for 20% off that jacket you had been eyeing online. Game-changer, right?
5. Augmented Reality (AR) Store Navigation
Let’s face it—finding your way around a big store can be a headache. To solve that, we integrated an AR navigation feature on the client’s shop mobile app, allowing customers to find their way to specific products they had viewed online.
Customers could use their smartphones to guide themselves to the exact aisle and rack in-store. No more wandering, wondering where that shirt is hiding.
The Results
The results were like night and day. Once we integrated all these in-store technologies and connected them with the online experience, the fashion store saw a 45% increase in e-commerce sales and a 30% boost in in-store traffic. And that’s not even the best part—customer satisfaction ratings skyrocketed across both platforms.
But don’t just take our word for it; here’s a quick snapshot of the impact:
- Average session duration on the website increased by 25%—customers loved playing with the virtual try-on feature.
- Cart abandonment rates dropped by 20%- due to connected kiosks, customers were more likely to complete their purchases, whether in-store or online.
- In-store visits from online shoppers rose by 40%—with personalized offers driving people into the physical store.
Wrapping it up!
At The Expert Community, we’re all about making retail dreams come true by merging cutting-edge in-store technology with good old-fashioned customer care. And the case of our client’s fashion store? It’s proof that in-store technology can transform the customer experience—not just in-store but online, too.
If you’re facing similar challenges in your business, hit us up! We’d love to help you cook up something special. Let’s make your online experiences as smooth as butter on toast!
