This paper is meant to present a method that helps fast fashion companies to enhance and customize online customer experience for those customers who have visited the store by using in-store customer behavior analysis.
Due to the nature of fast fashion retailing method, retailers produce limited amounts of designs/size/color of each product, and these products might become out of stock quickly in stores. The situation is when a customer visits a store and searches through the store for certain products, customers might find that their preferred design/size/color is not available at that moment. So, how can customers check the availability of the product that they are looking for while they are still in the store without interacting with store’s staff? Also, how companies would discover those people’ interest in searched product/s or a certain feature of that products after the customers leave the store, and then link this information to those customers when browsing the company website for online shopping?
The proposed method is by using QR codes, that are place on shelves, and digital loyalty cards. The application of this method might be as a company develops a digital loyalty card that allows customers to scan QR codes through the digital card. Then, after scanning, a microsite pops-up which allows customers to enter data about that particular product including size and color and press on a button called “check the availability”. The result includes either the product is available on the company main website or in another store. Or the product is not available either because the company does not produce this product/s with such features (size and/or color), or the product is not available now.
In all situations, the company would benefit from such function as the company would be able to link individual information stored in the digital loyalty card with customers’ interest whereas customers search for product/s through the store and scan QR codes of products of their interest. The integrated information would help the company to use this information to enhance same customers experience when shopping online through the company website. The enhancement of online customer experience for the customers who have visited the store is seen wherein the company customize the recommendation system content on the online platform based on the past store’s visits along with the seach on the platform. Also, this function would benefit the company to increase sales as customers would be able to find same product/s online or in another stores. Moreover, this function benefits the company to improve production plan as the company discovers people’s interest of certain products. This would enable the company to customize production and resources as the company eliminates certain products/sizes/colors and use resources to produce desired designs/sizes/colors.
Based on the above explanation, this paper should include the following headlines:
1- Enhancing Customer Experience: this section should include:
A) In-store customer experience:
• The definition and explanation of customer experience.
• The current technologies that are used by FAST FASHION RETAILERS to enhance in-store customer experience (Current technologies include, but are not limited to (WiFi, Cameras, Mobile apps, etc…)).
• Digital Loyalty Cards (The definition and explanation of digital loyalty cards, and the current application of loyalty cards in the FAST FASHION INDUSTRY including different loyalty programs’ types).
• QR Codes (The definition and explanation of QR codes and its types, Summary of each possible use of QR codes in the FAST FASHION INDUSTRY.) Current innovative methods that use QR codes by FAST FASHION INDUSTRY include, but are not limited to (smart hangers, smart mirrors, and smart fitting rooms, etc…).
• This section MUST include a criticism of current technologies (such as cameras, WiFi, mobile apps, etc…) and innovative methods (such as smart hangers, smart mirrors, smart fitting rooms, digital loyalty cards) as they do not allow companies to recognize individual customers and what they are interested in while searching through the store and before checking out. Also, these technologies do not allow customers to figure out if the unavailable product at the store is available elsewhere (online and/or in another store). Moreover, these technologies and innovations do not allow companies to use information about in-store customer to enhance their online shopping experience when shopping online as companies are unable to recognize individual customers due to privacy and/or lack of advanced technologies. However, digital loyalty cards, specifically, allow companies to recognize individual customers when they are about to check out, but do not allow companies to discover what specific customer has searching for while in the store.
B) Online Customer Experience: this section should include:
• Definition and explanation of online customer experience, and the importance of enhancing online customer experience).
• Recommendation systems (The definition and explanation of recommendation systems, the benefits of using recommendation systems including consistent experience of multi-channel (from in-store shopping to online shopping), and customized recommendation systems content based on the above-mentioned proposed method).
• Apply the proposed method (mentioned above) to utilize in-store customer behavior analysis (through the digital loyalty cards and QR codes) to enhance online customer experience for customers who have visited the store. (For example, a company develops a digital loyalty card that allows a customer to open the phone camera through the digital loyalty card and then scans QR codes that are placed on shelves. After scanning the QR code of a specific product, a microsite (webpage that is related to the company pops-up, allowing customers to check the availability of product/s by modifying the product features such as size/colors and other features .The results for that search would be either the product is available on the company main website or in another store of the company and shows the details. Or the product is not available because the company does not produce this product with such features, or the product is out of stock). The benefits include the company would be able to discover peoples’ interest about a particular product which allows the company to consider such features of the product in the future. Also, the company would be able to determine the customer identity as their information is linked to the digital loyalty card and their search about products are also stored in the digital loyalty cards, which allows the company to use this information when the same customer uses the company website for future online shopping).
Notes:
The above-mentioned headlines and scenario are subject to be modified as if there is any additional information that are related to this topic and need be added. Also, the order of the headlines and/or ideas are subjected to be reordered.
Sample Solution
