The Future Customer
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INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION BY RACONTEUR.NET #0683 01/09/2020 THE FUTURE CUSTOMER HOW TO ADAPT TO SECONDHAND FASHION THE EVOLUTION OF 03 CHANGING DEMANDS 04 FACES KEY QUESTIONS 20 EMPATHETIC ADS Customer experience is the name of the game. Want to play? odigo.com RACONTEUR.NET 03 THE FUTURE OUTLOOK CUSTOMER Delivering the Distributed in Email address* (required) goods post-pandemic Published in association with COVID-19 has prompted some extreme changes in consumer demands and spending patterns, so how are brands reconnecting with customers for a post-pandemic future? Morag Cuddeford-Jones masseurs and small cinemas add- Contributors ing to the fun. MaryLou Costa Morag Cuddeford- he start of lockdown was Even without bells and whis- Business writer and editor Jones T for many a rapid and brutal tles, simple face-to-face expertise covering marketing, Journalist, editor and change to everyday living. will still be valued. “Speaking to a tech and startups, with broadcaster, specialising Work and education took on a very knowledgeable person in-store gets work published in The in marketing and business. different look as people congregated a level of service, whereas online Guardian, The Observer and Marketing Week. Tim Gibbon at home in their household bub- it’s about convenience,” Salt insists. Business, marketing and bles. Bricks-and-mortar retail sim- In-store and online shouldn’t be Jack Apollo George technology journalist, ply shut down and typical customer in competition given how differ- Writer, editor and semi- with work published in habits were upended overnight. ent customer habits are on each otician who works with Admap, Direct Commerce Research from Superdrug par- platform. “Customers are doing media startups, with arti- and The Huffington Post. cles in the New Statesman ent A.S. Watson showed that in a their research online and coming and The Day. Daniela Morosini global survey of 22,000 people in Getty Images via Images/LightRocket Haria/SOPA Dinendra in-store with the intention to buy, Award-winning beauty 20 markets, post-COVID-19 more not browse,” she says. Magda Ibrahim writer and trend- than 80 per cent will continue to But trooping back to the shops is still Award-winning journalist, spotter, contributing to with bylines in London titles including Vogue, shop online; however, almost 100 not a given. Retailers need to address Evening Standard and Refinery29 and WGSN. per cent would go back to physical changing customer habits, includ- specialist media including stores when they could, particu- ing sanitation, keeping a distance, Hate giving up your data Campaign, Third Sector Ana Santi larly Generation Z. mask-wearing and more if they’re to and PRWeek. Former editor at Drapers But, as we emerge from lock- be enticed back. “Reassurance will be and commentator for the Oliver Pickup BBC and Sky News, writing down, shockwaves are still being up there,” Elliott confirms. Award-winning journalist, extensively across fashion, felt across the high street. Retailers Hobbycraft’s Paterson says: “We specialising in technology, business and culture are trying to work out how the brief have surveyed customers visiting for bad content? business and sport, and but wholesale shift to online has our stores and 96 per cent confirmed contributing to a wide Rebecca Stewart changed future customer shopping they’d definitely return to our stores range of publications. Business writer, covering media, technology and habits and what it means for their again, which shows the changes we Emily Seares advertising as a senior omnichannel strategies. Clothing’s digital plans. “We had to capacity by introducing 30 night have implemented in-store to make Editor and writer, reporter at The Drum. “We went from a legacy business work quickly to get them over the stores for quick fulfilment and to customers safe are working. We will specialising in retail, 65 to 35 per cent in favour of shops to line quicker than we ever imagined,” meet increased customer demand. continue to uphold these.” fashion, beauty and luxury, suddenly being thrown into ecom- she says. This expansion will help make Superdrug launched Be Kind, and contributing to a range Your prospects do. merce. It brought some short-term Jewellery brand Pandora also important customer events such as Shop Kind in August to “provide a of national publications. changes in consumer behaviour, but had digital plans underway, but its Black Friday and Christmas even completely safe shopping space for some will remain long term,” says senior vice president, chief digi- bigger and better in 2020,” he says. colleagues and customers”, says Louise Salt, chief customer officer at tal and omnichannel officer David Pandora’s Walmsley adds: “We sell Macnab. This includes maintaining Crew Clothing. Walmsley notes the company had emotion, we don’t sell jewellery,” social distancing and asking cus- Home entertainment was key to “turbocharge” the online service. which is why he believes customers tomers not to handle products they Publishing managers Head of production during lockdown, something He says markets where customer will still want to shop in-store. “It’s are unlikely to buy. So many lead gen campaigns fail because the content Nathan Wilson Hannah Smallman Hobbycraft was well placed to serve. habits weren’t naturally online had a very high-touch product. There’s With the in-store retail expe- David Kells “We are doing all we can to embrace a COVID-19 boost. “Italy went off the endorphin hit of finding just the rience still key to the Pandora Design behind the data capture offers no value, causing frustration the increased customer demand, the scale. People who were too nerv- right thing and putting it in a lovely brand, Walmsley notes the com- Associate editor Sara Gelfgren Peter Archer Kellie Jerrard be it by increasing our ecommerce ous to shop online came over and bag. Online we can create a satisfy- pany will be looking for initiatives and negative brand sentiment. The lead gen campaigns Harry Lewis-Irlam capacity, offering online craft work- that won’t change,” says Walmsley. ing experience, but it’ll never have to help customers feel comfortable: we run for brands are based around high-quality content Deputy editor Celina Lucey shops via Zoom or adapting our pro- “It has set us up for the next phase that emotional hook.” “Appointment booking and video Francesca Cassidy Colm McDermott cess to cater for our click-and-col- of transformation.” Edge by Ascential’s Elliott sees chats are just two of the initiatives.” Samuele Motta lect service,” says customer director Superdrug chief executive Peter the future customer demanding Crew Clothing’s Salt has already that answers a need. Managing editor Jack Woolrich Katherine Paterson. Macnab believes beefing up digital much more in the way of retail the- explored how the company can Benjamin Chiou Art director The key will be in keeping that stands the company in good stead atre. “Shopping will be a special respond to changing customer Digital content executive Joanna Bird momentum post-COVID-19. “We to address future customer needs. trip out. It becomes the all-day- habits, also looking into appoint- Taryn Brickner have adapted our plans to offer more “We are working to future-proof out experience,” he says, adding ment bookings, extended hours on Find out how we can help you Design director chances to learn in a digital way, as online distribution and have tripled that high street stores could see a store-by-store basis, tailored to Tim Whitlock our in-store workshop programme local shopping trends and taking has been temporarily paused. The out unnecessary shopping steps. digital version of our Kids Craft Club “If someone finds what they want in make the most of your leads. Although this publication is funded through advertising and COVID-19 IMPACT ON MARKETING AND BRANDING Bynder 2020 sponsorship, all editorial is without bias and sponsored features was extremely successful,” she adds. the fitting room, why queue to pay. are clearly labelled. For an upcoming schedule, partnership Chris Elliott, digital shelf analyst Global survey of marketing professionals in April Pay instead from an iPad or mobile inquiries or feedback, please call +44 (0)20 3877 3800 or at retail insight specialists Edge phone,” she says. email [email protected] by Ascential, believes the biggest Pre-COVID-19, customers rubbed raconteur.net/lead-generation Raconteur is a leading publisher of special-interest content and change in future customer habits along with the slight mismatch in research. Its publications and articles cover a wide range of topics, post-COVID will be in delivery and experience between online and including business, finance, sustainability, healthcare, lifestyle and technology. Raconteur special reports are published exclusively in tech. “That will be here for some in-store. The pandemic has been the The Times and The Sunday Times as well as online at raconteur.net time,” he says. “At Christmas, shops litmus test for many retailers whose The information contained in this publication has been obtained like Aldi will see a big influx, but experience was not up to scratch. from sources the Proprietors believe to be correct. However, they will run all of that through the Post-COVID, the future customer no legal liability can be accepted for any errors. No part of this Deliveroo app. It will be a Christmas 57% 17% 13% 13% will demand more convenience publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the essentials service to make things from online, more experience from Publisher. © Raconteur Media There will be a It’s only short COVID-19 has Unsure seamless for the shopper,” he says. lasting impact, term - things permanently in-store and a greater confidence Salt notes that COVID-19 put but it won’t be will go back to changed that their chosen brands can really @raconteur /raconteur.net @raconteur_london something of a rocket under Crew transformative normal soon branding deliver the goods.