As Appendix 3 shows, we conducted an observational study in the Liberty’s store and found that out of the 120 customers whom entered the shoe department within a 20 minute period, 79 of those customers had their mobile device in their hands whilst shopping. This high proportion of actively tech-savvy consumers came as no surprise to us, as being apart of Generation Y ourselves, we are equally as involved in integrating our mobile devices at most touch points in our daily routines. Nevertheless, we observed a varying age of shoppers, and this behaviour was present throughout the sample. However, whilst we recognise this growing trend in
in-store mobile phone integration, through our research we have also identified that Liberty’s target market continue to place importance on the physical in-store shopping experience (see Appendix 2). We believe that these two brand touch points can be merged, leading to an enhanced customer shopping experience, whilst equally providing an integrated and rich range of experiences that can satisfy the shoppers’ needs. This will be achieved through a plan to drive the consumers into the store via smartphone technology, as well as via the introduction of interactive in-store technologies. We feel that our proposals will be viable and in keeping with Liberty’s customer-base, whilst equally attracting 25
new innovation-seeking customers along the way. A study carried out by Fitch further supports our thoughts. An extract reads: “Bricks and mortar stores are in no danger of going away soon. Our research shows that shoppers across the world still see physical stores as the most preferred shopping channel” (Fitch, n.d.). Conclusively, we have identified an overriding theme of the store being the physical “anchor” for the consumer to visit, and so our proposals will facilitate this idea. This is our big idea. Written by Charlotte Cain