For the second time this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) is hosting a virtual version of NRF2021: Retail’s Big Show. Hot on the heels of Chapter One, which took place at the start of this year, Chapter Two, NRF Retail Converge, runs from 21–25 June 2021, offering a virtual Expo for retailers to connect with the industry, attend one of 50+ featured sessions or join roundtable discussion rooms.
Once again, the KIT team will be in attendance, ready to talk to new and existing clients about how KIT can enhance the brand and place the Store Associate at the heart of operations. To discover how KIT can help get your business back on track after an unusual year of trading while enhancing the customer and omnichannel experience, register here to schedule a meeting with one of our team.
A tough year but there is light at the end of the tunnel
The retail industry struggled through 2020, with non-essential retail closing its doors and adapting to the customer’s ever-changing needs. However, as this spilt over into 2021, the industry became more experiential and embraced new customer behaviour by adopting and enhancing new ideologies. These include Click & Collect, BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick-up in Store) and ROPIS (Reserve Online, Pick-up in Store), all of which have become part of the new normal. But what about the role of the Store Associate during these uncertain times?
It is more important than ever for retailers to offer a more personalised experience, and savvy retailers, who are in the know, already have Clienteling tools readily available and implemented. This approach meant that Store Associates could maintain and further their relationship with customers when stores were closed. It also provides instant access to robust levels of communication such as emails, social media messaging and video calling, allowing businesses to keep their brand alive for their customer base.
The capabilities that technology can unleash are becoming close to limitless. But the ability to remain close to your customers, wherever they are, is here. Brands will differentiate themselves by the type of experience they give to their customers. Customers will differentiate the brands by the value they put on the experience personally, with everything made possible with KIT Clienteling and Assisted Selling.
