Why digital-first customer-centric experience is do or die for retail brands

James Brooke, Founder and CEO, Amplience

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The Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared: “The only constant in life is change.” If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that he was right.

 

Yet when change happens, we are often surprised.

 

There’s no denying the monumental shift to digital channels throughout the Covid pandemic and beyond. We saw changing consumer behaviour based on safety and security with the rise of contactless checkout and kerbside pickup, and new demand for digital-centric shopping experiences across all segments and generations (who recalls teaching a relative or loved one how to shop online in recent years?).

 

This change has extended into an uncertain post-lockdown period, and led to far greater issues retailers and brands must face head-on: the great resignation as employees have begun to re-evaluate their life choices, a global economic recovery with inflation changing consumer behaviours, and supply chains issues becoming more obvious than ever for the average shopper (to name a few).

 

So what does this mean for your digital experience, and how can you adjust your approach to remain competitive?

 

The rise of the digital-savvy consumer

Customers today are armed with more information than ever. They’re more sophisticated and they have higher expectations. Retailers and brands that drive a “range it and they will come” strategy are less relevant, and face accelerated decline.

 

The decay of the high street should be evidence enough. To survive and thrive, commerce brands need to become experience leaders. To do this they must deliver digital-first personalised, localised and consistent experiences across all touchpoints and devices to beat the competition and stay relevant.

 

The real-world, destination-based, linear shopping experience is dead. In its place is a complex customer journey that dips in and out of brand touchpoints and the wider web. Customers are in the driving seat and can easily take their business elsewhere if they are unsatisfied.

 

Leading consumer brands have capitalised on their ability to deliver customer-centric experiences to meet these demands. They are leaders in their given categories and have redefined customer experiences in their market segments within the last decade.

 

And it’s not just these segments that are changing. Every market is undergoing rapid transformation and becoming digital-first, reshaping commerce experiences forever.

 

Isolated, generic websites that replicate offline brick-and-mortar stores through digital shelves and grids can only get you so far. To beat the competition, brands need to be able to differentiate with compelling customer-centric experiences that connect and engage with their customers, providing them with value before, during and after the point of purchase.

 

Mounting pressure from multiple angles

 

The above has put a huge strain on retailers and brands to keep up with consumers, and this can be felt across three dimensions:

 

• Existing technologies and solutions reduce the execution scope. These products were bought, implemented and designed before the rise and adoption of smartphones, limiting the visibility and understanding of their customers.
• Antiquated, heavily governed waterfall processes with endless gates, checks and reviews slow down the rate of change.
• The very fabric of a business’s organisational structure and ways of working has undergone a fundamental shift with the rise of remote and flexible working. And there is no way to put that genie back in the bottle, despite calls from some to return to the office full time.

 

Businesses need to solve these challenges internally if they are to compete and succeed in the 21st century and beyond. If you don’t, you risk being toppled by the next disruptive competitor in your space.

 

So how do you stay relevant and compete on these terms? It comes down to getting good at and embracing a customer-centric mindset. Retailers and brands need to deliver holistic experiences with the right people, processes and products.

 

If history has taught us anything, those that embrace change are the ones that succeed.

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About Amplience: Amplience is a commerce experience platform that takes the heavy lifting out of digital content, giving your technical and marketing teams the freedom to create digital experiences without limits. The platform’s MACH Alliance-certified architecture delivers maximum speed, agility and scalability. More than 400 of the world’s leading brands use Amplience. Amplience has 200 employees globally and has raised over $180 million to date.

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