Retail centers worldwide have joyfully prepared to welcome back shoppers long trapped at home during COVID-19. But the guests they knew in early 2000 likely are not the same people marketers are trying to attract today. Today shoppers are a bit more cautious, a lot more accustomed to the ease of online shopping, and more loyal to a small business or that local shop down the street.
Most important, they’re much more likely to want a complete experience that speaks to them. They’ve spent months with personalized emails recommending products or services that relate to something they already have. They want you to treat them like an individual, not a statistic. Today’s shopping center must replicate that seamless, connected retail experience in the physical realm.
Here are six tips (in order) that can help your shopping center create a connected shopping experience.
Collect, Analyze, and Use Data
Your shoppers want personalized experiences. Fortunately, they’re more than happy to give you their personal information to help you do so. Ask them for email and mobile information in exchange for free Wi-Fi, and you have the beginnings of a relationship. But use other sources, including demographic statistics, information from your tenants, in-center foot traffic counters, and more. Combining these into one database will allow you to find customer behavior patterns that will aid in your outreach.
Use an Omnichannel Approach to Interact With the Shopper
Most shoppers begin with a mall’s website to find stores, hours of operation, and more. Look for ways to make that site more interactive. Include blogs that they can comment on. Ask for their opinions on pertinent topics. Create a dialogue. Use an omnichannel strategy to look beyond the website to your mall’s Facebook page, conduct polls, and give information. Send them texts and emails (you asked for that information early on, remember?) that give them pertinent information about promotions and other offers.
Personalize Your Customer Communication
Segment your customer data so that you can, to some degree, personalize messages to particular groups. Parents of a young family will be interested in different stores and events from young, single professionals. Send messages that resonate with each group at the right time to maximize effectiveness.
Interact With Shoppers In-Center
Technology exists that will allow retailers to ping loyal shoppers when they’re nearby with special offers. Work with tenants to help them install these programs — and share data from your efforts. We are in this together.
Reward Loyalty
A strong loyalty program that rewards shoppers for their purchases is literally a gift that keeps on giving. Whether the program is based on points, tiers, or some other criteria, it encourages shoppers to spend, even as they provide valuable information about their favorite stores and restaurants. It’s a win/win for all.
Follow Up
The relationship doesn’t end when the shopper leaves the property. In some respects, it’s just beginning. Monitor social media to see what shoppers are saying about your mall — and your competitors. Interact with them on social media, thank them for compliments, and address complaints. Keep the conversation going, so the next experience will be connected to the last.
A program such as Coniq’s IQ Connect mobile app-based loyalty solution can bring all of these elements together easily and effectively without deploying new hardware. Marketers will learn customers’ visits and shopping patterns and be able to communicate with them to encourage them to return.
