Earlier this month, I made my first fashion and tech prediction for the year ahead. Here’s another one: after years of distrust and (many would argue, well-founded) wariness, land-based retailers and mobile technology will finally stop beating around the bush and, to borrow a phrase from a much more widely read and beloved blog than this one, “totally make out.”
While there have certainly been plenty of brick-and-mortar retailers embracing mobile technology over the last few years, it’s been more common to hear about stores’ frustrations over lost dollars to Internet retailers as shoppers increasingly use their phones to comparison shop and find better prices as they browse. And while those concerns are legit, a new trend is starting to emerge with gusto: mobile apps and tools that actually encourage shoppers to visit stores and buy from them instead of their online competitors, largely by making it easier or more rewarding for them to do so.
There’s been a ton of coverage and relatively widespread adoption of tools like Shopkick, which uses your location and rewards you when you physically enter partner stores. But now I’m starting to see more and more apps that make the time-consuming experience of looking for what you want to buy in person a faster, more efficient experience. Two such examples are ShopNear.me and Lasso.it, apps that help their users find items in independent boutiques. And then there are a slew of service-oriented mobile offerings out there these days, like Postmates and eBay Now, that make it easier for shoppers to get what they want from brick-and-mortar retailers without actually having to physically go there.
And there are many, many more examples. But the upshot of all this is mobile and land-based retail are finally starting to work together in really interesting ways that stand to capitalize on the best parts of each. Handhelds are great for searching and finding things on the go, but not so great (yet) for buying (especially for buying things like apparel and accessories, things you’re probably going to want to try on). And stores are great for making good purchasing decisions, buying things you won’t have to return, getting the right fit, etc., but not so great at letting you know what they have exactly when you need it the most.
Here’s betting that this year, they continue to make out in one, long, sloppy snogfest. Who knows, in ’14, maybe they’ll have to get a room. Just don’t expect any shotgun wedding shenanigans. Coordinating the two involves a lot of moving parts (not the least of which is the difficulty in getting retailers to implement the procedures and tech and resources needed from their side to make these things work well and efficiently), so don’t expect lightening fast shifts, but rather a slow ramp. And when it comes to make out sessions, many would argue that’s preferred…
More digital style…