Five Ways Retailers Can Beat the Holiday Heat this Summer
Preparing for Christmas in July may not feel like much of a gift for retailers this year. The unprecedented Covid-19 disruptions in the global supply chain, inventory, labor and customer spending combine for a very unique set of challenges to navigate all at once. On the flip side, the pandemic illuminated where opportunities exist if retailers are able to capitalize, especially when it comes to leveraging existing technology investments.
At LeapPoint, we don’t believe retailers should have to work hard for their technology to perform; technology should perform for them.
Here are five ways we are helping retail companies optimize their existing technology investments to prepare for the 2021 Holiday Season:
- Connecting All Disconnected E-commerce Infrastructure — As physical stores shut down during the pandemic, e-commerce leaped forward by 10 years in just the first 90 days. But for many retailers, there was no time or budget for new e-commerce infrastructure investments. Instead, by discovering where disconnections exist and correcting them, retailers are able to better plan through uncertainty, pivot to changes more quickly, integrate real-time analytics and improve customer care.
- Supporting Mobile and Omnichannel Revenue Streams — Mobile sales are projected to account for 72.9% of all e-commerce sales in 2021 and Adobe reported that half of digital Christmas revenue in 2020 came from smartphones. Regardless of where or how consumers shop, they will expect a consistent brand experience that values their loyalty. Making sure technology systems align across all customer touchpoints – brick & mortar, online, mobile, social media, etc. – is more important than ever.
- Training New Employees Faster and Smarter — According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings in retail have risen steadily for the past six months. As retailers deploy new tactics to attract talent, equal creativity should go into training new employees quickly once they fill those empty roles. Technology like JumpSeat from LeapPoint lets retailers train new employees through as-you-go modules and tutorials that link directly into their employers’ existing systems so training can be swift, seamless, and effective.
- Valuing Employee Time and Technology Needs — The Covid-19 pandemic has given all employers, including retailers, the ability to better understand what employees need and want so we don’t go back to “business as usual.” Technology plays a major role in how employees evaluate employers and whether they stay or go. Nearly half of all workers say they’re likely to leave their current job if they’re unhappy or frustrated with workplace tech. By eliminating redundant tasks (the average employee cuts and pastes information 134 times a day between 44 different applications just to do their job), and streamlining information, retailers can improve employee satisfaction, retain talent and boost overall productivity.
- Using Data for Brand Awareness, SEO and Marketing — Whether consumers shop in stores, online or on their smartphones, a search engine or “online discovery” usually starts the process. If retailers are not strategically using SEO and keywords across e-commerce platforms and online apps to improve their rankings, they are missing out on potential sales opportunities. LeapPoint works with marketers at major retail companies to seamlessly integrate best-in-class technology to support prioritized campaigns that improve customer segmentation, SEO, brand awareness, engagement and sales.
Overall, the post-pandemic news for retailers is looking optimistic with US holiday sales expected to increase 2.7% in 2021. Brands that commit to getting more performance and productivity from their technology investments will see even faster, better and bigger gifts under the revenue tree this holiday season.
