Archive for August, 2021

Today’s customers expect a lot. As well as convenience and personalisation, they want a seamless omnichannel retail experience.

One way retailers can meet those demands is through digital signage. Sleek screens displaying tailored content that is informative and flexible can provide high-impact results.

Brands and retailers are taking notice. According to recent research, the digital signage market is estimated to grow by £4.9 billion by 2025.

Looking at the stats, it’s easy to see why digital signage solutions are proving so popular. Not only can digital signage software help capture the attention of 63% of customers, it also creates a 46% increase in customer satisfaction.

For retailers looking for ways to reconnect with their customers post-pandemic, digital signage is the one to watch. But there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re considering investing in this tech.

Content is everything

There’s so much more to digital signage than simply the screen and hardware. If you don’t have the right content displayed, you’ll struggle to make a connection with your audience. If you want to interact with your customers, content needs to be simple but compelling, informative but accessible. It also needs to be 100% relevant. Make sure your content tells a story and enhances the customer experience.

Know your customers

There’s no such thing as one type of customer. Each person is unique, and has different requirements. As a result, you need to ensure your messaging reflects this diversity. The customers you have coming into the store in the morning may have different needs to those visiting in the afternoon or evening. By changing your content at different times of the day, you can target specific audience groups. Specialised sales promotions will also help create a sense of exclusivity and make customers feel valued (and more likely to come back).

Audience targeting

Advancements in customer targeting mean retailers can manage how people interact with different brands and products. If someone searches for a product online, for example, this projection tech means it will be followed by a mobile phone notification and a more satisfying in-store experience. With targeted, timely messaging along the way, the final sale can be made in-store. Eye-catching, relevant digital signage can help to seal the deal.

Looking to increase engagement, boost communication, improve sales and create the best customer experience? Delta Signage could be the answer.

Get in touch to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

It seems that multi-sensory marketing is taking retail by storm, with marketers particularly keen to leverage a customer’s sense of smell to tap into memories and ambitions.

More brands are using signature scents to create emotional connections and evoke particular connotations within the minds of consumers. They want to create scents that scream luxury, indulgence or relaxation, and pair them with other sensory experiences – for example, the feel of crisp bed linen in a hotel or the sound of dreamy music in a restaurant.

One big-name brand that has done just that is Marriott’s St Regis hotels, creating a signature scent inspired by American socialite Caroline Astor and her legendary New York parties. Niche? Yes. Luxurious, extravagant and opulent? You bet…

Speaking about the brand’s multi-sensory strategy, Jennie Toh, vice president of brand in APAC for Marriott International explained: “With the sense of smell being so intimately linked to memory and emotion, by developing and deploying a signature scent unique to each brand, we are helping create not only a better first impression, but a positive reinforcement of their experience.”

She went on to describe how certain aromas can be used to create a stronger brand presence and an air of familiarity for guests who travel around the world.

In Toh’s opinion, adding signature smells to the customer experience is “one of the most untapped, powerful ways” to welcome customers. After all, if you’ve got the chance to create a positive first impression, any business is going to want to take it.

Scent marketing: Why is smell so powerful?

Smell is by far the most emotional of all our senses. It is also the most powerful. Scent allows brands to connect with consumers on a deeper, emotional level to create a more memorable experience.

Research suggests that being surrounded by a positive scent can elevate our mood by 40%. With 75% of our emotions being guided by scent, it’s not surprising that it can be used to amplify a brand’s identity and values.

Thanks to a direct link between our olfactory and limbic systems, humans strongly associate smells with emotion and memory. Such is the strength of this link, it means we can reach 65% accuracy when it comes to information recall.

Looking at the stats, you’d think the use of scent in multi-sensory marketing was a given. However, awareness about the power of scent marketing is still relatively low.

Developing a signature scent

So, how would a brand go about creating its own signature scent? The first step is identifying what makes up a brand in terms of aesthetics, audience and brand purpose. Once that has been established, it’s possible to tailor a scent based on these components and add extra key notes such as relaxation, luxury or sophistication.

Brands also need to consider culture and universality when developing a scent. Certain smells are considered universally pleasing – freshly-cut grass, fresh coffee, or freshly-baked bread. Others are more localised – for example, kimchi which can evoke all sorts of positive emotions, but perhaps not for those unfamiliar with its pungent aroma.

By considering cultural preferences, brands are able to ‘localise’ their scents and keep the customer experience wholly positive.

Wafts of holistic marketing

Scent marketing isn’t something that operates in isolation of other marketing strategies. It works best when it is at the heart of a holistic marketing strategy.

As Olivia Jezler, founder of scent branding company Future of Smell explained: “When all the sensory elements of texture, weight, colour, sound and scent work together, each balanced in unison with one another, our experience is heightened as is our consumer experience of a product, environment or service.”

She continued: “In a retail setting, the added element or products being sold and the target market also comes into play as additional factors to design for.”

Abercrombie & Fitch is just one of many brands using scent marketing effectively – anyone who’s visited a store will instantly recognise the company’s unique aroma. Employees used to walk around the store with spray bottles containing the woody scent, now nebulisers are deployed throughout.

John Lewis took it one step further by designing specific scents for certain areas within the home. A fragrance with base notes of coconut and vanilla was used for fitted kitchens and cooking appliances to evoke the warmth of the communal space, which is often the heart of the home. 

Jezler explained that scent marketing needs to tell a single story. She said that if a product “sounds like the ocean and smells like pine trees, our brain cannot compute this as a unified experience.”

This creates confusion and a disjointed experience, meaning we are unable to assess whether a product is good or not. When everything comes together to tell one story, we are inclined to assess a product as high quality – and are willing to pay more for it.

Golden rules of scent marketing

Scent marketing is just one way you can adopt a more experiential approach to your marketing efforts. Interested? We’ll leave you with the two rules of scent marketing:

1.      A little bit of scent can go a long way (i.e. less is more)

2.      A complete absence of smell can be unsettling (amplified by the loss of taste and smell people experienced after testing positive for Covid)

Ready to take your marketing efforts to new experiential highs? The Delta Group is here to help. Get in touch with our friendly team today: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

No one in the fashion industry (or any industry) could have predicted the Covid-19 crisis. However, some fashion companies found they were better equipped than others to deal with the fallout. Primarily because of their digital proficiency.

Going digital has been the key – not just to success – but to survival in 2021. This year’s Fashion Week was digitised once again and industry experts are now desperately trying to envisage how the future of fashion shows might look.

Fashion brands need to work out how to balance their physical and digital brand presence. Some have managed to get this balance right. But for many, digital content distribution is proving easier said than done. Even with the right digital skills and fresh, engaging content, brands are still faced with the challenge of bringing collections to life without access to a physical store or showroom.

The business of fashion – then and now

Taking place twice a year, Fashion Week would gather together the most influential movers and shakers of the fashion world (namely, buyers and journalists). Their purpose? To spread the word about the latest fashion collections and trends. This information was then readily available for the general public (aka end consumers).

However, since the pandemic, things have been a little different. Brands have been forced to digitise and rethink how they can continue nurturing these relationships. For example, in a digital world, how can you maintain exclusivity with global industry insiders while making yourself accessible to a wider audience of experts? And how do you shout about a new collection via social media and the press without diluting the impact and message?

Redefining the user journey

The race is on for brands to find more streamlined ways to bring collections to life in a digital format. But as a Forbes article asks: where should they start? 

In terms of the user journey, it all begins with brand assets. These assets are made up of catwalk looks, campaign shots and product images, all taking the form of physical samples or digital content.

To get brand assets out into the digital sphere and improve the overall digital experience, a good place to start is with a centralised, cloud-based system. This allows you to store all your digital assets in one place, giving simple and fast access to both staff and people outside of your company.

Organisation is key. Organising your assets in an efficient way – categorising, tagging and moving – and granting access to all key stakeholders helps you stay in control of what the end user can and cannot see.

You also want the end user to have a full 360° experience, making use of digital to showcase collections and attract audiences in increasingly creative ways. Go wherever your imagination takes you – VR, mini-documentaries, interactivity or gaming.

Communication, connection, content

Of course, there are limits to how much you can do without a physical showroom or store. An immersive online experience is your best bet for attracting buyers and building relationships with the media. A digital showroom opens opportunities for communication between brand and stakeholder and keeps everything in one place.

But a digital showroom or event won’t give you the results if it’s working isolation. By connecting it to other tools, you’re able to gather insights into who is viewing, downloading and requesting what information and keep the links between digital and physical wide open. 

Your digital showroom works as an extension of the brand experience, picking up where a video leaves off and helping to build and nurture relationships. So personalise it, customise it, and tailor the experience to the user.

Whatever shape your digital event takes, you need to ensure that content is the star. Here are some ways to guide guests on their digital journey:

• Before the event, share a teaser and a countdown that will grab your guests’ attention.

• Make sure the invite is innovative, eye-catching, and worthy of sharing.

• Once the event is complete, link the collections to the digital showroom to encourage maximum post-event engagement.

• Ensure all your digital tools are linked so that guests can request samples directly.

The more you’re able to create an immersive experience for your audience, the more you can inspire industry experts, engage customers and grow your brand.

If you’re looking for ways to create a more immersive omnichannel experience for your audience, the team at Delta is on hand to help. Get in touch today to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.  

The technology that allowed ecommerce to thrive during various Covid-19 lockdowns will also play a role in the recovery of bricks and mortar retail.

Shoppers want a more connected shopping experience when they return to the high street.. According to Snap Inc’s Future of Shopping: Global Report 2021, 40% of in-store shoppers use their mobile phone to find more information about a product, while more Gen Xers (80%) are keen to incorporate AR into their high street visits.

The pandemic has highlighted that while technology has disrupted bricks and mortar retail over the past 20 years, that same tech has also helped retailers navigate the connection between the online and physical spaces.

The report reveals that customers are keen to get back into physical shops, but they don’t want to lose the benefits and convenience of ecommerce – e.g., instant access to stock information or home delivery services.

The report’s findings suggest Brits are particularly attached to online shopping. Over four in ten (44%) plan to buy the majority of their clothes online (compared to 38% globally), while 34% said they favoured buying items in-store (42% globally). However, 49% of Brits miss the social aspect of shopping and 51% are frustrated when they can’t try clothes on first.

Key takeaways from the report include:

• Return to in-store retail: Shoppers returning to the high street are seeking the social and tactile experiences ecommerce cannot offer. But, they also want the convenience and safety they’ve grown used to.
• Tech will boost in-store sales: 35% of global customers would visit a specific shop if it offered interactive tech such as smart mirrors.

• Mobiles are part of the physical shopping journey: 50% of Gen Zers and millennials say they never go shopping without using a mobile. And within five years there will be a 57% increase in Gen Z shoppers who use AR (via a mobile) before buying.

These findings reveal a blurring of customer needs and expectations across both physical and digital shopping channels. They show that after price, shoppers prioritise convenience, social interaction and product testing.

Speaking about the report, Ed Couchman, regional general manager at Snap Inc. said: “Shoppers want to read reviews, compare prices and try on items using AR – but they also enjoy the experience of going into a shop, speaking to staff, and looking at items. They want the best of both worlds.”

Delta Group helps brands and retailers achieve this. Find out more today: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

Innovation is key to retail success.

Presumably retailers are sick to death of hearing that. We know it. They know it. But when it comes to innovative retail tech, things are not as simple as we’d like. That’s because while there’s a lot you can control with tech, some things you cannot.

Customers, for instance…

Humans can be instinctively wary of change, which means many people are hesitant to try out new technology. 

Yet, there are also plenty of customers who are tech-savvy and will pledge allegiance to stores that offer more advanced systems and offerings.

The question therefore is: How do you keep all customers happy? Calming more cautious customers, while exciting the more curious.

Customers are more familiar with retail tech than they think

The high street is already full of examples of in-store retail technology. Here are some examples of how tech is already part of the shopping experience:

• M&S’s on-the-spot payment system has been in-store since late 2020. Pay With Me lets customers who have a few items in their baskets check out with a staff member, keeping queues to a minimum.

• & Other Stories debuted a smart vending machine in its flagship Paris store which allows customers to try out beauty and fragrance products. The plan is to roll this technology out to other locations.

• A Lush store in Japan uses an app as its primary source of product information. The app replaces in-store demos and products are displayed on shelves and conveyor belts around the store.

• Zara dabbled in AR technology in 2018. Customers could hold their phones up to sensors to see models sporting items from the latest collections. This showed shoppers how to style items and potentially saved them a trip to the changing room.

Keeping all customers happy

Retailers looking to keep their progressive customers happy need to find ways to offer increasingly frictionless experiences. This could mean digital signage which informs, engages and connects the online and offline worlds; pop-up shops where new tech is trialled; mobile apps that feature loyalty programs; or mobile scanning shopping options.

More traditional shoppers can be appeased with easy-to-adopt tech such as click and collect and QR codes. Cautious shoppers will also be grateful for the presence of a real-life associate to answer any questions.

If you’re looking for ways to strike the right balance with your in-store digital signage, Delta can help. Get in touch with the team to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

There’s always been more than one way to grow a retail business – marketing, advertising, product development, investment, to name just a few. But one way of increasing sales that can be overlooked comes in the guise of IT.

There are various benefits of implementing IT solutions into your retail business, from greater efficiency and customer service to reduced costs. An article on Tech Guide offers seven key benefits of IT implementation in the retail space.

1 Greater efficiency

By automating processes, you are immediately taking one step closer to an easier workflow and greater efficiency. When everyday tasks such as data entry and inventory management are taken out of the hands of staff and dealt with by an IT solution, employees have more time for more important business operations – customer service, for instance.

2 Lower costs

It’s true – investing in retail IT solutions tends to mean significant upfront costs. However, it’s the long-term cost-efficiency of those solutions that retailers need to focus on. You save money over a period of time, with staff able to dedicate more time and energy to serving customers and securing sales rather than being in the back office.

3 Improved customer service

Every business needs to strive for a better level of customer service – it’s what sets them apart from their competitors. By implementing IT solutions, you are helping your retail business run more smoothly and freeing up more time for employees to spend on the shop floor with individual customers. Greater automation also means customer service helplines are answered faster. And that’s a sure way to keep customers happy.

4 More accurate inventories

An IT solution can work wonders for retailers’ inventories. Giving valuable product information such as the number of units available and where those items are located, IT solutions can help retailers make more informed decisions about their inventories. In turn, this can lead to fewer losses as a result of spoiled or expired products.

5 Greater product visibility

You want customers to be able to find what they are looking for. An IT solution allows just that, giving customers more convenience and avoiding the curse of out-of-stock items.

6 Fewer losses

Retail losses due to theft or outdated merchandising practices (aka shrinkage) are the bane of any retailer’s life. Retail solutions can help limit these losses by ensuring proper labelling, excellent presentation, and properly merchandised products.

7 Enhanced marketing opportunities

Effective promotion of your business starts with digital signage, point of sale displays and other digital marketing solutions. A retail solution can offer you all this and more, helping customers find out about the latest deals and special offers.

Delta Signage: Enhancing the in-store experience

Digital signage is a crucial element of in-store technology; it engages customers, shapes perceptions and enhances the in-store experience. Is it time to help your retail business stand out from the crowd by implementing an effective signage strategy?

Delta Signage is one retail solution that delivers the goods and keeps customers happy. From helping you operate safely in a post-pandemic environment to displaying the latest product information, your key messages appear on sleek screens at the point of sale.

As far as digital signage solutions go, this one is scalable, powerful and used by both global brands and high street retailers.

Are you ready to get your best content in front of your customers? Get in touch with the team at Delta to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

Reading the headlines, the UK’s high streets sound, at best, depressing. At worst, pretty desperate. The figures second this outlook: 1,400 retailers have gone into administration since 2010, reports Marketing Week.

But then certain headlines come along that make you think twice. Last month, for example, the BBC reported that music retailer HMV plans to open ten new stores this year, including a new London flagship store.

The Covid-19 pandemic was seen by many as the final nail in the coffin for the high street. Restrictions meant that more people relied on online shopping during lockdowns, while bricks and mortar stores faced the challenge of closures, limited footfall, and reduced sales. In the midst of the first lockdown in 2020, a third of all retail sales were taking place online.

But are we focusing too much on the negative headlines? After all, the ‘high street’ isn’t a single entity, it is made up of multiple sectors – all of which have experienced varying levels of misfortune (or in some cases, fortune) over the past 18 months.

Retail parks, out-of-town shopping centres, city centres, and small town high streets have all performed very differently from one another. But one has performed better than the rest: the local high street.

The high street vacancy rate has remained at 12.5% since 2013, suggesting high streets across the UK have been continually reinventing themselves. What have in the past been seen as weaknesses – fragmented ownership, low rents and lack of central coordination – are helping the high street experiment, evolve and meet the needs of the local community.

Post-pandemic working patterns may also help suburban high streets. With many people newly self-employed and businesses set to move away from five-day office weeks, there will be more people working from home during the week. That means more people heading to their local high streets during lunch breaks and early evenings.

We are also seeing a more community-minded attitude towards shopping starting to emerge. According to a study by Deloitte, 57% of people plan to spend money with businesses selling locally-produced products in the future.

Another shift has occurred in what we buy – moving from ‘stuff’ to ‘self’. Since 2013, there has been a rise in people visiting nail salons, coffee shops, restaurants and barbers. These are all experiences you can’t replicate online and give bricks and mortar retail a well-deserved boost.

Perhaps it’s time to start looking beyond the headlines and understanding that purchasing and regional trends could be just what our local high streets need right now.

The Delta Group helps retailers get more from their physical stores by giving them the tools they need to enhance the customer experience. Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

Not tried virtual try-on when online shopping yet? According to a new consumer study, you’ll soon be in the minority if you don’t start soon.

Research by 3D and AR retail experts Vertebrae has revealed that 44% of consumers have used virtual try-on when shopping online. In addition, 69% say they ended up buying the product either online or in-store as a result.

Virtual try-on is a combination of AR and a front-facing camera which allows consumers to see what a pair of sunglasses, lipstick, or necklace would look like if they were wearing them. The technology shows the items at the same size and scale as real life on the customer’s face or body.

The study confirms that virtual try-on technology isn’t just a quirky add-on to an ecommerce site. It’s a digital tool that can attract more customers and boost sales.

As more shoppers turn to virtual try-on to assess an item’s style, fit and colour, retailers are realising they need to start embracing this technology or risk losing out to their competitors.

According to the survey, 75% of shoppers who have tried virtual try-on did so in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, 49% of respondents said they were likely or very likely to buy from a brand if they offered virtual try-on.

Virtual try-on is used by cosmetic retailers. Everyone from MAC and Maybelline to L’Oréal and Chanel are helping customers try out the latest beauty looks from the comfort of their sofas.

However, it’s the eyewear category that currently reigns supreme in the world of virtual try-on. Seven in ten consumers said that sunglasses and glasses were the number one most useful item to virtually try-on in order to make an informed purchasing decision. 

But retailers thinking about implementing this technology should remember that the key to success is simplicity. A total 43% of those questioned said they were unlikely or very unlikely to use virtual try-on if it meant they had to take additional steps such as uploading a photo or entering measurements.

Customers rated the top three uses for virtual try-on as:

–        Checking if the style of an item suits them (63%)

–        Seeing if the colour suits them (51%)

–        Getting an accurate sense of the size of an item (46%)

Speaking about the research, Vince Cacace, founder and CEO of Vertebrae stated: “Virtual try-on is transforming shopping for entire categories like eyewear, hats, footwear, and soon clothing.”

He continued by saying that the findings reveal “a huge opportunity for retailers to use virtual try-on to differentiate and drive sales, particularly as consumers expect the best experiences to come from the brands themselves.”

At Delta, we empower brands to differentiate, deliver impact and drive sales. Find out how we can help your health and beauty brand to better connect with customers today: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

The Covid-19 pandemic clearly impacted in-store consumer traffic. But with the continued success of the UK’s vaccination programme, consumer footfall on the high street is on the up, with customers feeling more comfortable about heading back through the doors of physical retail stores.

Pent-up demand has meant bricks-and-mortar retail is enjoying a resurgence. And that has led to retailers seeking ways to deploy new technology to boost business, attract new customers and increase brand loyalty.

Digital signage fits the bill perfectly. And in a post Covid-19 landscape, digital signage is proving to be more important than ever. Not only will we see digital signage continue to be used to promote products, services and offers, it will also increasingly be used to share information on policies and expectations for in-store shoppers. Having the ability to change messaging from a centralised location in real time makes digital signage the ideal choice for retailers looking for technology that is a differentiator.

Retailers are continually looking for ways to increase the length of time consumers stay in front of (and interact with) digital screens. They also have to be aware of changing consumer behaviour.

As a result, we will see the technology shift up a gear, moving away from interactive touchscreen displays towards greater interactivity through a shopper’s mobile device. This touchless retail display technology not only benefits the customer experience, it also offers retailers greater insight when it comes to purchase analytics.

In short, this new technology allows retailers to transform their digital displays at the same time as addressing cross-contamination concerns.

Contrary to what some retailers believe, not all digital signage is made equal. The quality of screens and the technology powering them can differ hugely.

In the quest for innovation and increased sales, retailers need to take their time when choosing a digital signage platform. They should also seek the support of the experts.

Delta Signage is a cost-effective solution that allows retailers to display engaging, relevant messages that add real value to the customer experience at the point of sale.

At Delta, we can help you give your customers the reassurance and convenience they crave at the same time as helping you transform the physical retail experience, increase sales, and boost loyalty.

To find out more about Delta Signage and how we can support you in generating creative content for your digital signage, get in touch today at hello@thedeltagroup.com.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, shoppers might be happy to stick with online retail. But retailers have other ideas. They plan to entice them back in store by creating a more omnichannel experience, reigniting in-store demand by investing in more digital integration.

The GET SET. GROW: How UK retailers are preparing for the return of demand report by Klarna and Visualsoft, cited by Internet Retailing, reveals that more than two-thirds of retailers plan to invest in digital over the coming year.

Almost nine in ten (88%) retailers are getting the wheels in motion to ensure a smoother, more seamless omnichannel experience for their customers, allowing them to start their buying journey on one channel and complete it on another. Meanwhile, 28% of retailers intend to make customer profiles available across all channels.

Across the industry, there is belief that the demand for in-store shopping will remain high. Over half (54%) of retailers questioned said their bricks-and-mortar stores would always be the main focus for their brand and that physical stores would coexist with online channels for some time to come.

With the in-store experience remaining strong, 56% of brands think that technology will help to replicate in-store customer experiences online.

In-store technology ranges from VR to data analytics, but all tech initiatives provide retailers with the opportunity to innovate and re-invent the in-store experience.

Technology retailers will be investing in over the coming year includes:

–        Building more responsive websites (27%)

–        Increasing in-store signage to promote online-only items (24%)

–        Ensuring in-store staff are equipped with mobile point of sale systems (23%)

–        Using QR codes to bridge the online/offline gap

As David Duke, digital director at Visualsoft explained, over the last year it has “felt like a sudden shift of power in retail.” 

He continued: “But the reality is huge changes have been building for some time. As our reasons for shopping have changed, online and offline retailers must also adapt.”

Speaking about the report’s findings, Klarna’s head of UK Alex Marsh added that “retailers should be looking to include in-store in their digital strategy.”

He continued: “Consumers are seeing a completely different high street to the one they knew before the pandemic. […] Having a truly connected vision will be crucial as consumer spend becomes more evenly split across channels.

“Finding new ways to bring the virtual and physical worlds together will be the key to making that happen.”

At Delta, we work with brands and retailers to help them innovate and reinvent the customer experience. Get in touch with our team of experts to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.