support
Send this page to a colleagueData quality news
Australian retailers urged to revamp customer service strategies
Sep 15 2011, 17:30 PM
Australian shopping centers need to reshape their customer service strategies if they are to grow their businesses and attract consumers, a report suggests.
Research by AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC) shows that 85 per cent of web-connected Australians are using the internet to help them shop in physical stores.
AMPCSC's Recommended Retail Practices Report 2011 suggests that five million Australian households are online researching, talking to friends, comparing, seeking advice or even leaving comments on websites about their shopping.
The report suggests that retailers should not consider the offline world as disparate from the digital, but look at how customer needs analysis could help them better reach their customers, who clearly desire some kind of web-related function even when shopping on the high street.
The average Australian uses six forms of digital media to help them shop. The most popular is internet search engines (61 per cent), followed by ecommerce websites (50 per cent) and email alerts (40 per cent).
Retailers newsletters are also well used (37 per cent), as are manufacturer's websites (36 per cent) and Facebook (23 per cent).
Stuart Langeveldt, AMPCSC's head of marketing and communications, said: "Connected Australians expect digital access wherever, whenever and however they want. They don't expect their shopping experience to be any different."
"Bricks-and-mortar retailers are in a dominant position to capture and lead the leisure market by dialling up the sensory, touch and feel experience of in-store shopping," he added.
He explained forward-thinking retailers have already implementing technology – such as customer analysis – to enhance the in-store experience.
Related articles...
-
Retail customer service strategies need addressing
- Sep 12 2011, 08:03 AM Customer service in the apparel retail industry needs addressing urgently.
-
Cloud computing 'suits small businesses'
- Apr 8 2011, 13:57 PM Companies with simple IT infrastructures can be more flexible in the adoption of cloud computing.
-
Cloud computing customers 'want minimal fuss and cost when trying services'
- Apr 7 2011, 15:11 PM Cloud computing adoption should be an easy process for companies, Gartner has suggested.
For more data news, you can choose a category of your choice using the filter functionality on the right hand menu
