Messi Stores Offer Alternative Services Through Technology

The rise of the Internet and smart phones has had a huge impact on the "a href=" http://www.91se91.com/news/index_c.asp "retail trade < /a", while the department store is the first to bear the brunt of the P.

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< p > consumers have been used to visiting 100 stores while using their smart phones to search the same type of goods online through the application software (App), including their prices, colors, styles, evaluation and recommendation, etc. once they find high priced, recommended and cheap goods, they choose to buy them through the mobile phone on the Internet.

The Internet has pformed the real department store into an exhibition room and fitting room.

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< p > especially with the popularity of the mobile banking business of the major commercial banks, and even the current "WeChat payment business" that is constantly warming up, these will bring even more terrible impact to the physical department stores.

In the past 3 years, this is no longer an Arabian tale, but a real appearance in every department store. This also leads to a continuous decline in gross profit of department stores, which can only attract consumers through frequent promotions.

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Because of P, Accenture Advisory Group has long warned that consumers are no longer in a channel because they are now in various channels.

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< p > however, in the tormented department store, Macys Inc. of the United States is a special case.

According to the global retail innovation report jointly published by the world retail research center of Capital University of Economics and Business and the working committee of the Chinese business association in May this year, < a href= "http://www.91se91.com/news/index_c.asp" > Messi department store < /a > in fiscal year 2011, the net sales of US $26 billion 405 million ranked thirty-seventh in the list of the top 100 retailers in the world, followed by second in major department stores, but the net income of 1 billion 256 million US dollars has become the top of all department stores.

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As of August 3, 2013, the net sales, gross profit (Gross Sales) and net income of Messi department store in the first 26 weeks reached $12 billion 453 million, $5 billion 9 million and $498 million respectively: compared with the same period in 2012, they rose 1.57%, 1.21% and 8.26% respectively, compared with the same period in 2011, and increased by 5.28%, 4.68% and 33.9% respectively in August 3, 2013 compared with the same period in 2011.

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Why does P go so far? Insiders believe that there are many factors, but actively embracing technology is a force that can not be ignored.

Taking the free wireless hotspot (Wi-Fi) as the core, we create a shopping environment and shopping experience for consumers to have both physical store characteristics and network characteristics.

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< p > < strong > go contrary to the way < /strong > < /p >

The network of P, especially the network of mobile devices, seems to have become the natural enemy of department stores. Therefore, providing free wireless hotspots for consumers seems to be an act of foolishness.

Moreover, from the perspective of the entire retail industry, not only department stores, large supermarkets, and stores -- but in every shop with a certain scale, consumers will find that their 2G and 3G signals are very weak, and they are basically unable to connect to the network. In some places, cell phone signals are not even very suitable for answering phones.

On the surface, this "indirect" effect on consumers' use of mobile phone networks can also reduce the impact of Internet on physical shops.

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< p > but Messi's department store is doing its best. Its chief executive, Terry Lundgren, pointed out: "we are working to deal with such a problem: how can we provide consumers with a convenient and comfortable shop service like online shopping"? For this reason, she provides high-speed wireless hotspot access to consumers in 840 stores, and encourages consumers to use more.

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< p > providing free wireless hotspots in shops is a value-added service itself. Whether in the US or China, the monthly mobile phone traffic of consumers is virtually limited. If enterprises can provide free wireless hotspots with good speed, consumers will definitely connect. This also provides a good channel for businesses to create business opportunities and enhance consumer experience through wireless hotspots.

And all of this, in fact, requires only the enterprise to inform consumers that "my shop provides free Wi Fi".

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< p > and the reason why some supermarkets provide wireless hotspots are the same. The wireless hotspots of Messi's department make it possible for enterprises to understand the mobile routes of consumers in the shop free of charge. They can usually understand the exact location of consumers. This is the result of connecting consumers with mobile phones and hotspots. And the server of the wireless network can find the MAC addresses of the smart phones used by consumers (each device is different), so that enterprises can distinguish between different consumers, understand the frequency of each specific consumer's arrival, the main shopping area and the residence time in various regions, which provides more information for the arrangement of the booth and the display of the exhibits.

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< p > "which route do customers prefer to take? Why? How long have you been buying on this route? How long have consumers stayed? What is the relationship between staying time and purchase?" Terry Lundgren believes that these problems can help enterprises to establish "big data" of customer information and better analyze, design and arrange them.

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< p > and in the process, it can let enterprises know what commodities have become "victims of exhibition room effect", so as to help enterprises promote targeted sales promotion.

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< p > in addition, while collecting consumer information for free, Messi stores will connect these information with consumers' purchase information and membership cards, so that they can effectively understand consumers' individual characteristics, brand preferences and consumption levels, and provide a solid and effective foundation for pushing different promotional advertisements and currency vouchers to different customers (layers) in the future.

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< p > and when consumers use this free network, enterprises can push relevant promotional information and special purchase information to consumers through this Wi-Fi. These have already been implemented in the top department stores such as Messi department store, and North delderon.

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< p > < strong > > a href= "http://www.91se91.com/news/index_c.asp" > interactive experience < /a > charm < /strong > /p >

The free wireless hotspots of Messi's department store, apart from helping enterprises understand the moving lines of consumers, also cooperate with Google maps to provide maps for consumers in the store, so that consumers can find their favorite brands in "self navigation" more easily. P

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At the same time, Messi department store developed the mobile payment function by using Google wallet. That is, when you enter the shop, you can "brush" the mobile phone to register, and only need to brush the phone again at the time of settlement, you can immediately settle the credit card through connecting.

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< p > in addition to quick business settlement, Messi store also provides App for iPhone/iPad in iTunes, for consumers to download and register through the Internet, and then consumers can search any brand or product that they are interested in, enabling consumers to reach more products at the same time, and also get a deeper understanding of products through the software -- texture, inventory, logistics time and other consumer reviews.

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< p > application software has another advantage: because of the need to register, enterprises can collect consumers' mail, name, credit card number, cell phone number, MAC address of smart phone, and even the address of consumers. This information can help enterprises better locate and differentiate consumers. When combined with related POS systems, it can provide targeted services to consumers better.

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< p > < --EndFragment-- > all of these can greatly enhance the shopping experience of consumers. Moreover, because consumers are searching in official application software of department store of Messi, on the one hand, they avoid the possibility that they can search directly through Amazon and other websites, and purchase through Amazon and other other networks. On the other hand, enterprises can also understand consumers' shopping preferences (such as the number of search products, residence time, etc.) through application software. < /p >

< p > at the same time, for all consumers who connect the official APP and purchase in the store through the wireless network, enterprises can even provide some coupons or even discounts to encourage this behavior: of course, these coupons and discounts can not be "free", as long as consumers are required to make a small consumer survey on the APP through their accounts.

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< p > this way, the enterprise has obtained the real consumer in store experience survey data, and saved the data and reports that the original consulting firm needs to provide. Consumers also get the corresponding coupons (which can provide different coupons and discounts for different consumers for the current consumers' layering, characteristics, commonly used search keywords, etc.), and the two parties get what they want most, and save money. Why not? "/p >

< p > free wireless hotspots allow consumers to publish real-time status and product reviews through their social accounts. This behavior has proved to be able to stimulate consumers' consumption to a certain extent.

Of course, because consumers will put forward their own questions and opinions through the official micro-blog of @ Messi department store through Twitter, the whole free wireless hotspots also promote communication between customers and enterprises, so that enterprises can better understand consumers' views on products and booths, and make corresponding changes based on these feedbacks.

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< p > it is also necessary to propose that the official micro-blog's reply to consumers' questions and opinions on microblog is very necessary. If consumers understand in the store (through the location system of micro blog, the IP location of the enterprise's free network or even the MAC address of the smart phone, etc.), then the enterprise can let the employees in charge of this area go directly to the consumers, communicate effectively, explain and even guide, provide a kind of customer service similar to VIP, which is of great benefit to the customers' whole consumption experience in the shop, and, if the customer is satisfied, it may also share with micro-blog through micro-blog's instant messaging platform, such as Weixin, and so on, this word of mouth marketing is quite valuable.

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< p > < strong > alternative guidance service < /strong > /p >

< p > providing wireless hotspots is only one aspect of technological innovation, because you can't tell consumers what to do, so if consumers are just using micro-blog to see micro-blog's web pages, then the value of wireless hotspots will not be effectively utilized. More effectively, wireless hotspots should be effectively integrated with the store's POS system and some related marketing resources.

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Messi P uses the "Kiosk" to simulate the online shopping experience of consumers in physical stores.

This "information kiosk" is linked to the backstage of Messi department store through the Internet, enabling consumers to understand the products and brands in the store, consumers' comments on them, and second, it can help consumers to settle commodities.

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< p > especially in the beauty make-up area, this device is the most widely used and effective.

In addition to providing product and brand information, it also helps consumers find and choose products from many product categories and brands, while consumers only need to type their own problems (such as freckle, whitening, etc.), and the system will help consumers to make general choices based on the keywords.

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< p > in this process, there will be a staff member next to the kiosk who will help consumers to consult and choose to lead consumers to take the counters of the selected products for trial. If the customers are satisfied, the staff will directly help the consumers to use the credit card to settle accounts through the equipment in hand, which greatly saves the queuing time of consumers, and will also give consumers a service experience similar to "VIP".

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< p > in the process, the enterprise provides an expert consulting service to help consumers choose: when consumers go to Baidu and Google's own needs, he will find that the search results are fantastic and they can not be sure which of them are water forces.

This is the big problem consumers encounter in the network. If an enterprise can provide consumers with professional, accurate and one to one "VIP" services through its own system, it will no longer simulate online experience, but surpass the online experience.

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< p > for department stores, the exhibition room effect has already penetrated into the hearts of consumers. The impact of e-commerce brought by the Internet is irreversible. Consumers will use mobile phones to search the prices of products, find product reviews, and check the logistics status.

From Messi's Department's response, we can see that improving the consumer shopping experience is the key to the exhibition room effect.

Consumers are already in various channels, and if you do not provide him with better cross channel services and experience, consumers will sooner or later treat your shop as a thorough exhibition room and finally buy it through other channels.

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< p > moreover, the exhibition room effect does not mean that all products are the victims of the exhibition room effect. The department stores can fully understand what products are truly displayed by these technical means, and promote sales of these products by means of promotion, bundling and replacement. On the other hand, effective control of the number and type of exhibits and their placement are also helpful for the sale of other brand products of the corresponding category.

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< p > in fact, when consumers pay for the purchase, the exhibition room effect is good news for department stores. The question here is whether consumers are buying at the places you provide, that is, whether money has entered your account.

Secondly, can these "exhibitions" enable consumers to spend more time exploring in this category, triggering consumers' interest in other products?

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