The document discusses the importance of delivering remarkable customer experiences in retail, highlighting trends such as increased internet use and the need for personalization. It features examples of successful strategies from various brands like Sephora, Starbucks, and IKEA, emphasizing seamless integration of online and offline experiences. The piece stresses that companies focusing on customer-centric strategies see improved performance metrics compared to those that do not prioritize customer experience.

1. Why Remarkable
Experiences Matter
in Retail
A Table19 thinkpiece
June 2015

2. Contents
• Our observations so far in 2015
• Why does it matter?
• How to deliver remarkable customer experiences
• Brands we think that are doing it well

3. OBSERVATIONS
SO FAR IN 2015

4. Internet use is growing faster than world population

5. The average UK adult now spends more time using media or
communications (8 hours 41 minutes) than they do sleeping
(8 hours 21 minutes).
Ofcom 2014

6. Technology is delivering personalised services

7. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
And bringing content to life

8. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
And make processes easier or
more streamlined

9. Delivery is more tech-poweredHome delivery has become
tech powered

10. Beacons are gaining traction

11. Consumers are getting used to the ubiquity of
Click & Collect
Transport for London processed 10,000
orders at its click-and-collect stations within
first 10 months of offering the service

12. Amazon Prime customers generate twice as much
income as non-Prime and are eight times more profitable.
In the face of constricting margins, this model allows
Amazon to monetise its phenomenal growth.
Faster delivery is worth paying for

13. XxxxxxxxxxxxxWhy does it matter?

14. REMARKABLE
EXPERIENCES
MATTER IN
RETAIL

15. It matters for organisations
Customer-centric companies gained 43% in
their performance metrics in 2014 compared
to a 33.9% decrease for companies who have
neglected customer experience.
Forrester’s Customer Index
Searches for the phrase ”customer experience jobs”
increased 40% from July 2013 to July 2014.
Google Trends
Gartner has predicted that by 2017, 89% of
marketing leaders expect customer
experience to be their primary basis for
competitive differentiation
Customer experience is seen as the standout
imperative for 2015 and beyond, with 22%
saying it is the single most exciting opportunity
this year.
Digital Trends Survey – Econsultancy

16. It matters to us
56% of consumers say they would be more inclined to use a
retailer if it offered a good personalised experience.
O2 The Rise of Me-tail
40% of people will abandon a web page if it takes more than
three seconds to load.
Econsultancy
42% of consumers expect a response on social media within
one hour, and 32% think it should be within 30 minutes.
Edison
From a customers’ perspective, service should appear
seamless, and seem effortless, across channels.
Business2Community

17. UNDERSTANDING
CUSTOMER NEEDS
The key to delivering remarkable experiences?

18. 10 CUSTOMER
NEEDS

19. BRANDS
DELIVERING
REMARKABLE
CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCES

20. Sephora
Never giving your customers a
reason not to purchase
“It’s not just about selling more makeup, it’s
about selling the right makeup”
- Bridget Dolan, VP of Innovation, Sephora

21. “We don’t like to think in silos. We think of the customer
experience and then decide on the best technology that
supports that experience”
- Johanna Marcus, Director of Digital Business Development, Sephora

22. The Sephora experience
One-on-one Color IQ
consultations and AR
experiences
Expertise, product knowledge and
technology give customers a personalised
service like no other.
COLOR IQ / ecommerce
Use your unique identification to find
products effortlessly in store and online
Loyalty programme / email
Sign up for Beauty Insider for tier-based
rewards.
Mobile apps
The Pocket Contour app
gives personalised
makeup advice. Sephora
to Go is the brand’s
mobile commerce and
loyalty app
WOW ME
HYPER-
PERSONALISATION
MAKE IT
SEAMLESS
EMPOWERMENT
80% of
transactions go
through the
Beauty Insider
programme
ADDED VALUE

23. Why Sephora’s approach works
• Sephora delivers a complete and connected experience, which the business
prioritises over using just one platform or execution.
• The driving force behind their actions/decisions is based on existing consumer
behaviour – it’s more important to satisfy this behaviour, rather than forcing new
habits.
• Sephora sticks to its ABCs - ‘Always Be Closing’ (the loop) – the experience should
give people no excuse not to purchase.
• Sephora drives loyalty through the creation of value-add services such as its
Beauty Insider loyalty programme and various mobile apps.

24. Starbucks
Rewarding and recognising
customers

25. The Starbucks experience
Gamification makes the
loyalty programme more
engaging
Stars, alerts and levels enrich the
experience
Email drives in
store footfall
Triggered comms and
exclusive offers keep
customers engaged
Mobile-driven
experience gives you
more control
Customers can pay quickly with
the tap of their phone, review
their account balance and their
rewards easily
Turning the feedback
model on its head
Inviting customers to submit ideas
to improve Starbucks changes the
traditional feedback model
Mobile app
generates 6m
transactions
and 15% sales
in the US
LIFE ON DEMAND
ADDED VALUE
INTEGRITY
HYPER-
PERSONALISATION
Immersive
experiences
Starbucks have also
created The Roastery –
a place for the real
coffee enthusiast to
experience reserve
quality beans roasted on
site.
WOW ME

26. Starbucks rewards loyalty
• The app is easy and seamless – pay with your phone, earn rewards that go straight
to your phone – no plastic loyalty cards to carry.
• Email and mobile work together – emails keep you informed of what’s going on and
tell you about upcoming events, exclusive treats, info on your rewards.
• Surprise and delight factor: Downloadable goodies (songs etc.) as well as free
drinks, food, refills add extra magic to the programme.

27. IKEA
Joining up the online and
offline brand experience

28. IKEA has placed research at the heart
of its expansion plans. The Life at
Home report was a survey conducted
with 8292 people in eight global cities
to give the company insight into the
morning habits of its customers – the
data helps inform future product
designs.

29. The IKEA experience
Enriching product categories with
content gives items more purpose
Products are shown alongside lifestyle features,
e.g. an interactive guide to better sleep.
A customer-centric
approach to product
innovation allows IKEA to
shift vast quantities of
product across the world
IKEA wants to better its
customers’ lives – through
research it develops new product
lines such as wireless charging
furniture.
PROVE YOUR
WORTH
WOW ME
Showrooms let customers experience
the product first hand
…and get a sense of how it will fit in with their
lives
Apps empower shoppers to make
better purchasing decisions
The AR app lets customers see what catalogue
products would look like in their own home
ADDED VALUE
ADDED VALUE
Quirky digital tools
show off the brand’s
irreverent and non-
serious side
The IKEA Wedding Service
combines traditional
matrimonial celebrations
with video calling
I WANT TO FEEL
CONNECTED

30. Brand activations and partnerships deliver
unique offline experiences for customers –
IKEA events retain the brand’s quirky and
playful image.

31. • In an age where ecommerce dominates consumers’ shopping habits, footfall in IKEA’s stores
remains high. Branches are seen as shopping ‘destinations’ that appeal to all age
demographics.
• Added-value in store services such as car washes, express checkout, children’s play areas,
restaurants/cafeterias give customers a reason to extend their shopping time.
• The AR app for the 2014 catalogue let customers scan products from pages and virtually
place them in their homes.
Maintaining a strong brand on and offline
• Own research gives them closer connections to their customers and their needs, and allows
them to design their products in response to these needs (rather than the other way round)

32. Argos
Shifting perceptions with a
seamless experience

33. Argos is leading the digital retail revolution
with its new format stores

34. The Argos experience
Different store formats cater to
various customer needs
Small format and concession stores
make browsing and purchasing through
Argos easier and more accessible.
MAKE IT
SEAMLESS
Services are designed
to keep customers’
moving through
stores effortlessly
From browsing on tablets to
Fast Track collection, you
can be in out and out of an
Argos store in minutes.
Digital content and product displays
Bringing customers closer to the products than
ever before – not just limiting experience to tablet
or catalogue browsing.
WOW ME
ADDED VALUE
IMMEDIACY
Emails deliver highly
personalised product
recommendations and
offers
The Birthday Club suggests
gifts for your child and sends
you a 20% discount six
weeks in advance of their
birthday.

35. • Argos is leading the digital retail revolution with its new format stores that bring the
convenience of online shopping into the physical realm, and embracing Click and
Collect.
• Customers can use these stores to browse over 20,000 products via tablets, pre-
pay and collect items via a Fast Track service, view product displays and receive
advice and support from staff.
Why seamless means success
• They’re monitoring in-store and social data to inform the customer experience:
social data has already told them that men and women had different reactions to
the new stores (women liked the new customer service whereas men talked more
about the tech)

36. Using data to support a
remarkable experience
Disney

37. Disney World Florida is the most visited
vacation resort in the world, with an
attendance of 25 million annually

38. Why the MagicBand project?
"On the surface, we had super happy guests, but in
reality, we were making them go through so much
hassle at the park that down the road, they would
simply say, 'No más!' "
Disney World isn’t an amusement park: It’s
a metropolis. Sprawled across 25,000
acres of central Florida, it contains four
theme parks, nearly 140 attractions, 300
dining locations, and 36 resort hotels.

39. The Magic Band takes the hassle out of
navigating, carrying and queuing
The Magic Band removes the need
to carry cash, keys, passes and ID
Use the Magic Band to store photos, make
purchases, access your hotel , fast pass rides
and restaurant reservations.
Organise every
aspect of your trip
in advance online
Plan your trip down to the
last detail with the
MyDisney Experience
Disney characters and theme
park attendants know you by
name
With the Magic Band, Disney characters
can greet you by name and restaurant
staff know you’re arriving.
HYPER-
PERSONALISATION
WOW ME
MAKE IT
SEAMLESS
EMPOWERMENT
Families can customise
their bands
The band moves from being a
functional wearable to a prized
keepsake
The App
Once you’re there you can
use the app to navigate
the parks, view your
itinerary, get alerts for
your reservations, [in
theory] change your fast
passes, get real-time info
on ride queues

40. • Not just a park ticket – the magic band and app allow you to control and tailor your
trip starting from as soon as you’ve booked it.
• It makes navigating the 45 miles of theme park more feasible and less of an
overwhelming experience.
• When you’re there, the tech works together to create a seamless experience across
all parks, rides, (most) hotels, shops and restaurants.
• In theory you don’t need to carry anything – the band acts as park ticket, room key,
reservation holder, camera and wallet in one.
• Allows Disney to not only control and monitor traffic flow within the park, but gives
them valuable data on guests’ preferences, purchases and movements.
Creating magic with data

41. eBay
Creating a more personal,
curated experience

42. eBay Collections makes it easy to
navigate a world full of things you may
like to buy depending on what’s trending
or what you’re after
“…merchandise isn't alone what people want
most, in fact it's the memory that matters more
than the material these days and we have to be
able to cultivate experiences that really resonate
with people.”
- Michael Moskowitz, Chief Curator and Editorial
Director at eBay

43. The eBay shopping experience
eBay’s business model has
evolved: 75%+ listings for ‘Buy it
now’ - effectively an additional
sales channel for retailers.
Data analytics based on
customers’ activity and tastes
drive communications - and a
personalised shopping
experience on the app
It’s getting the ‘expected’ right: simple
ordering, payment and delivery methods.
WOW ME
LIFE ON
DEMAND
(HYPER)
PERSONALISATI
ON
IMMEDIACY
MAKE IT
SEAMLESS
MAKE IT
SEAMLESS
Inspiring shoppers via
collaborated collections
Keeps people on the site
for longer and empowers
retailers

44. • Ebay is responding to the omnichannel challenge by evolving its business model from a pure
auction site to selling new goods at fixed price.
The ebay experience
• It’s getting the simple and expected right: good UX, choice in delivery and payment options.
• Ebay Collections are designed to inspire, connect consumers and retailers, and give shoppers
a more holistic shopping experience than just purchasing one-offs

45. Peak Performance
Virtual pop-ups bridging the
digital and physical divide

46. The Magic Hour experience
Capturing consumer moments on social
makes for attractive and highly
shareable content
#catchMagicHour asks customers to take their best
photos just before sunrise or sunset to be in with a
chance of winning Peak Performance gear.
Time and location-precise pop-ups
turn experience into a treasure hunt
Be in the right place at the right time to gain
access to virtual pop-up shops.
WOW ME
I WANT TO FEEL
CONNECTED
The “magic hour” is the period
just before sunrise and sunset.
Peak Performance challenged
its customers to find its virtual
pop-up stores with their mobiles
at these critical times.
All the products in these stores
were free – customers simply
needed to be in the right place
at the right time to claim them.
A competition to win €500-1000
worth of products asked
customers to capture their
magic hour moment and share it
on Instagram with
#catchMagicHour

47. • Caters to the “always-on” consumer and shows how m-commerce can be
stretched beyond traditional approaches to loyalty.
Why is it remarkable?
• Brand’s core audience is actually being challenged in a meaningful way –
the appeal of the campaign is that it resonates with what they’re already
passionate about.
• Mobile has been leveraged in a clever and simple way to make the core
thought come to life. Technology hasn’t been used for the sake of it.

48. Selfridges
Turning retail into theatre

49. Selfridges is as much an event space as it is a
store, hosting everything from pop-up cinemas
and restaurants to crazy golf.

50. Selfridges continues to be a hub of creative
events, brand campaigns and product experiences
Drawing attention on the street
Selfridges’ highly creative window
displays are difficult to ignore
Delivering unique seasonal experiences
that keep shoppers engaged
Lectures, film screenings, culinary lessons, make-up
classes and book signings are just some of the events
keeping Selfridges relevant and exciting – and
connected to the world around them
In store activations are as bold and inventive
as their standout branding
Selfridges is known for its bold attitude, quirkiness and
expertise in all things luxury
WOW ME
I WANT TO FEEL
CONNECTED

51. Selfridges turning retail into theatre
• Selfridges today is more than a shop - it's a shopping experience that continues
to surprise, amaze and amuse its customers by delivering extraordinary
customer experiences.
• Selfridges remains a pioneer in innovation and creativity, and is one of the
reasons why it’s still considered to be the ‘best department store in the world’

52. Made.com
Making showrooming a
pleasurable experience

53. The Made.com showroom experience
Showrooms are designed to inspire
and ‘try before you buy’
The spacious and relaxing environment makes a
better browsing and ‘imagined living’ experience
Tablets are provided to customers
– to buy now or do it later
Tablets encourage you to add products to a
wishlist, or do it seamlessly via scanning
product tags.
Receive your wishlist by email
Triggered email keeps items front of mind and
easy to purchase even after you’ve left the store.
MAKE IT
SEAMLESS
WOW ME
IMMEDIACY
EMPOWERMENT ADDED VALUE

54. Made.com getting showrooming right
• The online and offline experience complement each other. Whilst the online site
has videos and back stories about the products, the in-store experience give you
the actual experience of sitting on a chair or sofa in person.
• Embracing showrooming is a smart and brave move for a furniture retailer. It
encourages and empowers people to feel comfortable browsing in-store and
buying later

55. THANK YOU