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Customer experience provides event focus

By Retail Technology | Thursday September 26 2013

Retailers to learn how to lead the pack and maximise customer experience from industry experts at upcoming e-commerce conference

With 72% of the UK population owning a smartphone and 50% using it to make purchases, retailers were recently warned that they must be prepared to maximise the customer experience at all possible touchpoints in the multichannel era.
 
Maximising customer engagement across all channels will form a key part of this year's Internet Retailing Conference, with a closing keynote from Peter Fitzgerald, country retail director at Google UK, who will offer stimulating and challenging ideas on retailing tomorrow and raise issues on what will be best practice and common practice in coming years.

Mobile should be strategic focus
 
With just over a fortnight until the conference, Fitzgerald believes that, while mobile should be a key focus in the five-year plan of retailers, they need to ensure they are putting their customer first and working hard to get them the products and services they want at the right time, regardless of touchpoint.
 
Speaking ahead of the conference, Fitzgerald said: “We, as consumers, always have the internet at our fingertips for price checks, product reviews and additional product range choice, therefore businesses that have seamless touchpoints across channels and devices will win and win big.
 
“Companies that use data to customise to the needs of individuals make shopping more fun and relevant for them will lead the pack,” he added.

With relevance and personalisation highlighted as a key factor in e-commerce success, Andrew Fowler of e-commerce technology provider Apptus Technologies, commented: “To ensure online success, retailers need to make sure they are fully optimising their online opportunities and using the mass amount of data available to them to provide customers with a personal and relevant experience that not only gives them what they want and enhances their shopping experience, but converts sales.”
 
As part of the upcoming event's multichannel programme, an expert panel discussion will take place to explore the reality of businesses going mobile and its role in the industry with debate from the leaders of Shop Direct, Argos, Harry and David and LivingSocial.
 
The Internet Retailing Conference is taking place on 16 October 2013 at the Novotel in Hammersmith, London.
 
The conference is in its eighth year and will attract over 500 delegates and 45 exhibitors who will gather to learn about ‘The New Basics’ of retail.
 
There will be three distinct themes for the conference, with industry experts sharing their knowledge of 'The Customer,' 'The Business' and 'The Industry,' as well as a further eight free workshops.

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