It’s no new thing that digital interactions are shaping the way we live. But the statistics behind this year’s Cyber Monday are really ossifying that idea, and the ways that marketers are crafting point of purchase experiences have to change with it. Differentiation, mobile phones, and multichannel experiences are just some of the ways retailers have changed their approach to keep up.
Differentiation
REI is one of the few companies who did something different this Black Friday. They announced an “Opt Outside” campaign and closed all of their brick and mortar stores to encourage consumers to do something active outdoors. REI promoted the hashtag #OptOutside, and had over 1 million participants. The outdoor retailer reinforced their brand positioning and stayed true to their values. In doing so, they received great reward with an increase in online traffic throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. REI was able to entice more customers by doing just the opposite of other retailers in an act of – pardon the pun – “outside” of the box differentiation. (Source)
Mobile
The use of mobile devices for shopping has increased over the years, which has decreased the prominence of big shopping days such as Black Friday. (Source) This is because every day is a shopping day, and there is no rush. In fact, many shoppers use their phones for research before going into the store or making a purchase online. In addition, social commerce has also gained influence in mobile purchases. Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest all incorporate a simple way to purchase items straight form each of these platforms, helping drive awareness and sales.
Multichannel Experiences
Retailers are coming up with creative ways to reach more people on top of online and in-store shopping. Some retailers have created pop-up shops, allowing consumers to see, touch, feel and experience available options for a limited amount of time. This helps retailers test new concepts and markets with less risk. For example, Adidas created a pop up shop in London to celebrate the launch of the new Stan Smith collection. Designed to look like a replica of a Stan Smith shoebox, the shop had limited and exclusive edition products along with interactive experiences to leave a lasting impression on attendees. One of the interactive experiences allowed attendees to use the “Stan Yourself” app, which replaced Stan Smith’s signature and face with a unique endorsement picture of themselves.
(Source)
With shopping trends changing every year, will Black Friday continue to be as important of a shopping day as it has been in the past? Shopping malls have become more and more of a window-shopping experience; will brick and mortars continue to exist? Or will the malls of the future just be where we go to get our steps in?
