Shopping patterns regularly and continuously change. The belief that all customers leisurely browse and make impulsive purchase decisions are long gone; we now see more customers with more purpose while shopping. Recent research shows that almost half (44%) of B2C buyers and 58% of B2B buyers say they always or often research a product online before going to a physical store.
Even when in-store, research has shown that 71% of shoppers use their mobile devices to research a new product or to look for online coupons. With personalized online shopping experience becoming the norm, customers expect better shopping experiences in-store.
A product locator is a start toward improving your customer's journey within the store.
A product locator allows customers to understand whether a particular product is in stock and where exactly in-store they can find them.
Retailers like Lowes and Walgreens offer product locators to their shoppers via integration within their existing mobile applications.
Why do you need a product locator?
Increase the Basket Size of your Customer
The ability to quickly navigate the store to the product is directly linked to business outputs. Based on our data, we understand that the lack of an accurate product locator reduces the sale conversion rate by more than 35%. While it is an obvious benefit to shoppers, the presence of a product locator also helps your employees efficiently navigate the store to pick up and deliver online orders quickly.
Your Brand Recall Works 24/7
When a customer suddenly remembers something at midnight and wants to check if you have it, they don't need to call the store! They can go online and figure out if they need to plan a trip to your store. Shoppers can view the store's products and on-hand 24/7, so if the need arises, your shopper can place an order online or plan a quick trip to your store. Essentially, you stay on top of your customer's minds even when you are not open.
Gain Actionable Insights
With a product locator, you understand what shoppers seek in-store. Product locator allows you to view shoppers' searches and their purchasing habits when tied to your loyalty data or shopper integration of the mobile application. You can then identify a connection in a shopper's trip and cross merchandise promotional locations at the store level to help build the shopper's basket for future purchases.
You can identify gaps in your product line and placement and feed them into the product planner, thereby efficiently managing inventory, logistics, and supply chain.
Improve Omni-Channel Customer Experience
One global survey says that 74% of in-store shoppers searched for something in-store such as locations and in-stock details, before going into a physical store. The product locator saves time for both you and your customer. Over time, this can feed into in-store traffic management, leading to lesser overall waiting time. A product locator is a start point towards an enhanced omnichannel shopping experience.
Features of a Product Locator
- Real-time information
- Navigation map
- Online store inventory
- Online-physical store connect
- Inventory check and in-stock notification
- Buy online, pick up in-store
- Enhanced mobile application
- Omnichannel shopper experience
RetailGIS' SmartPMX© has allowed our clients to integrate product locators within their existing mobile applications. Additionally, utilizing SmartMap©, the product locator offers a clear navigation map and real-time in-stock product inventory to every customer any time anywhere.
Contact us at sales@retailgis.com for a demo.
