On May 31 & June 1
Brenda Gouin, our
Director of Strategic Partnerships, attended the RCC STORE 22 conference in Toronto. After two days of learning and discussion about critical retail topics and success strategies Brenda came away with 5 top observations:
- Discovery Commerce: Canadian retail has changed forever - from going shopping to always shopping. Retailers need to meet their clients whenever, wherever and however they want.
- Technology: Retailers who leverage technology and innovation will help secure future success. Retailers need a GenZ strategy for a new generation of shoppers who want to be empowered to help themselves via self-checkouts, bot support, and automation. In Canada, GenZ's account for 20% of the population.
- ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance): Retailers need to embed ESG into the fabric and culture of their organizations as more consumers will shop where their values & culture align with that of the retailers.
- Omni-channel - Retailers need to mirror the online and in store shopping experience, Lines are becoming blurred and consumers want a consistent experience. 86% of Canadian shoppers conduct research online before proceeding with a purchase and 60% of Canadian shoppers check online to see if a product is available in store (Google).
- Customer Experience - The vast majority of shoppers say their shopping "experience" is as important as the product itself. Social selling will continue to grow with brands making connections with consumers through social media channels.