Blending physical and digital elements of retail combines the best of both worlds, phigital is about uniting platform strengths to deliver a seamless path to purchase. Being able to humanise e-commerce and connect consumers to in-store experiences is a powerful mechanic to deliver emotive shopping. NRF didn’t disappoint in delivering innovations in the area of social shopping solutions, with headless commerce platforms presenting some great ideas for brands to connect in-store and online experiences.
But what is headless commerce and how can we use this successfully in a physical retail environment?
Headless commerce architecture is the decoupling of the front end of a website (text, colours, images etc) from the functional back end (pricing, security, checkout etc). This gives brands the opportunity to harness the power of in-store experts by extending their reach through e-commerce, think the next generation of shopping channels.
Notable technology platforms we saw at the show were Lisa, buywith and Squadded, all taking live and social shopping experiences to the next level. By allowing brands to publish in-store content directly to social media platforms, brands can engage with their customers wherever they are through immersive social shopping experiences.
We see vast opportunity around this platform, centred in the physical store space.
From hosting in-store customer events, through to tutorials this technology has the ability to extend reach to a wider global audience, capturing shopper attention and engaging in direct conversation with new audiences.
It connects shoppers to personal stylists, product experts and sporting pros who can all offer personalised advice. Be that demonstrating the new driver you need to perfect your swing, or the racket that will give you the best serve on court.
You can’t beat in-person magic.
Are you as excited as we are about this technology? Drop us a line to find out more about how we are making retail come alive enquiries@thevalleygroup.com
Photo credit: LiSA
