In response to the news that Amazon is trialling its first
bricks and mortar store in Manhattan ahead of this year’s Christmas shopping
season, John Pincott, Managing Director, Europe, Shopatroncomments:
Although online has changed consumers expectation of what
shopping should be like, research shows time and time again that we still love
the convenience and customer services that come with buying items in-person.
For the retailer, giving customers in store pick-up services and the option to
buy additional products in a physical location drives footfall and increases
the opportunity for them to see other products they’d also like to buy.
This is further proof that smaller and specialised
retailers wishing to compete and avoid disappearing off the high-street in the
face of such a challenge by the retail giants need to seriously consider how
their offering compares. The final piece of any online retailer’s consumer
offering is to allow a physical location in which shoppers can interact with
the store and pick-up goods in a way convenient for them, for example, through
‘click and collect’.
This is a smart move by Amazon, by enabling customers to
move freely between their physical and online stores and giving customers what
they want in a hassle-free experience, shoppers will have less reason to look
elsewhere this Christmas season.
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