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More Than 80 Percent of Retailers Look to Increase CX Spending in 2015

TMCnews Featured Article


February 11, 2015

More Than 80 Percent of Retailers Look to Increase CX Spending in 2015

By Michael Guta, TMCnet Contributing Writer


Not long ago retailers used to focus more on their products than they did on their customers. By emphasizing the product, they believed the customer would eventually come in the store. This might have been the case, but the introduction of e-commerce, mobile technology and social media has forever changed this thought process. Retailers now understand without a great customer experience (CX), the many different channels consumers have at their disposal means you might never see him or her ever again if you don’t engage them properly. A new survey by SDL and Econsultancy proves this increased awareness by revealing more than 80 percent of retailers are looking to increase their CX spending in 2015.


The survey was carried out in the fourth quarter of 2014 with the participation of North American retail organizations averaging nearly $500M in revenues. The respondents were senior marketers, who have realized the debate over the importance of CX management is over, they now have to master it, this according to SDL.

Mastering the process is complicated, and presents many challenges as retailers integrate new technologies and try to make sense of the massive amounts of data they generate to get a better understanding of who their customers are. Even though there are challenges, 97 percent of the respondents cited the integration of CX technology as important or essential to their growth. While they appreciate the need to implement the technology, only 40 percent stated their relevant systems as integrated and cross-functional at this moment.

Key takeaways from the survey were:

  • None of the organizations plan to reduce their CX commitment in 2015.
  • Only two percent have no plan for integrating their technologies at all.
  • For 45 percent of retailers, content is a tool to grow their audience, often in tandem with social reach.
  • Omni-channel retailing is cited by 22 percent of marketers.
  • More than 50 percent now say they have a strong understanding of the mobile user experience, however, only a third of retail marketers (35 percent) believe they can differentiate using mobile.

“Our latest research indicates that North American retailers are acutely aware of their technological shortfalls when it comes to creating a seamless, personalized customer experience across multiple channels,” said Paige O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer at SDL.

Technology has dramatically changed the way consumers purchase products and services, and retailers have been greatly affected by it. Although the vast majority of retail sales take place offline, around 90 percent in the U.S., 50 percent of those purchases are influenced by digital research. So for retailers, the challenge is to translate the CX consumer have online to augment the offline experience. 




Edited by Alisen Downey







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