At the press conference “IT in retail”, experts noted that the future lies with showrooms. Given the general drop in retail margins, in the near future, classic stores will give way to showrooms with the possibility of ordering via the Internet, which is already quite developed in the electronics segment.
According to Yulia Sitnikova, an analyst in the research and consulting department at STORE STORES, retailers in the West have long been puzzled by the trend of turning ordinary stores into showrooms. “For example, large American retailers such as Walmart, Macy's, BestBuy, Sears integrate their online and offline sales channels to retain shoppers, providing shoppers with, among other things, the ability to order goods online and pick them up at a regular store. Apple Stores are also a good example, where offline stores are important, first of all, the image component.
Online retailers, on the other hand, are ready to go offline: for several years in a row, the world famous online retailer Amazon has announced its desire to open offline stores in the format of showrooms to strengthen communication with its customers. At the same time, it remains important for consumers to have the opportunity to look at the product live, and then decide how to purchase it: in the store or online - therefore, it is impossible to completely abandon the traditional store; This is the importance of the showroom: the showroom can serve the purpose of creating an emotional connection with the consumer, communicating the brand philosophy to him, and strengthening the brand image, ”the expert added.
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