​How Myer is leveraging technology to boost customer experience

The department store giant’s chief digital and data officer reveals what it takes to reconnect with customers through technology

Myer’s chief digital and data officer, Mark Cripsey, speaking at the Online Retailers Conference 2016 in Sydney
Myer’s chief digital and data officer, Mark Cripsey, speaking at the Online Retailers Conference 2016 in Sydney

The key to boosting customer experience is enabling it through technology, its chief of digital and data claims.

Speaking at the Online Retailers Conference 2016 in Sydney, the department store’s Mark Cripsey discussed how the department store is enabling digital transformation to ensure a more seamless and engaging customer journey.

“It’s not about leveraging technology for the sake of it, but you need to use it as a means to an end, which is the customer experience,” he told attendees.

While Myer has traditionally focused on a more tactile, in-store experience, Cripsey said the retailer also now needs to recognise and adapt to the forces of digitisation.

“The world is changing and the forces of digitisation, plus large-scale, demographic change, are impacting us all and shaping our attitudes and values,” he said. “But it’s not in a predictable or organised sort of way. In retail, our audience or customers are empowered as never before and informed and liberated by technology. So if we are no longer relevant to today’s digital world what would over 100 years of our tradition and heritage as a retailer matter?”

To answer this question, the retailer went on a journey called ‘New Myer,’ a $600 million investment over five years to transform the business around four key pillars: Customer-led offers, wonderful experiences, omni-channel shopping and a productivity step change. Cripsey claimed is a vision built around bringing the love of shopping to life.

“It focuses on three main streams, the product, which is in the right place and can be found at the right time,” he explained. “The second part of our strategy is investing in what has traditionally been a strength of ours, which is service, and providing a compelling in-store experience. The third stream of our transformation is through the omni-channel.”

Cripsey said Myer is looking to leverage its digital data capabilities in order to gain better insights about its customers and predict what they’re likely to buy.

“This way we can help our customers, rather than just sell to them,” he said. “And we can recognise even more potential ahead of us.”

One example of Myer improving the in-store customer experience by leveraging technology has been its shoe department, where Cripsey said sales consultants are now armed with an Ipad and can check if a particular shoe is in stock right beside the customer.

“If it is in stock, the sales assistant can then alert a runner to bring the shoe to the shop floor, rather than abandon the customer and go out the back to look for it themselves,” he said. “In the meantime, the shop assistant can remain chatting to the customer and establish a connection the customer doesn’t feel abandoned. There’s probably also been an opportunity for the customer to be cross-sold of upsold as well.”

If the product isn’t in stock, the sales assistant can launch a customer order app, which scans Myer’s inventory all around the country, Cripsey said.

“Then if it is stock, the order is placed online and the shoe is then sent directly to the customer’s home,” he said. “It’s not rocket science, but it has been massively well received by customers, because we’re using technology to solve a real problem and at the same time, enrich what a team member already does.”

Another in-store digital boost has been the new ‘Myer hub,’ which serves as a digitally-enabled concierge within the department store. The hub contains a digital kiosk that provides a number of services including click-and-collect, a coffee shop, free gift wrapping and Wi-Fi connectivity.

“Again, this has been very successful and we’re starting to roll this concept out, because it solves a real problem,” Cripsey said. “It brings all the services together and adds a bit of sparkle to the store, which has really helped in the pilot stores.”

Personalised shopping experience

For fashion-conscious customers, Cripsey said it would be exciting in the future to offer a more personalised shopping experience. For instance, one future possibility is if a female customer needs an outfit for the races, Myer could leverage the data they have on her purchase history, likes and preferences to provide a more tailored in-store solution, complete with her favourite music playing via Spotify.

“Now the customer would feel relieved that the stress is being taken out of the experience, and I bet she will have a lot of fun in the process,” he claimed. “Plus she will be grateful to Myer for helping her through that process.”

Through all of this change, Cripsey said adopting a test-and-learn methodology has radically changed the way Myer works.

“We are using technology to learn quickly what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “And with this mindset, we can then quickly scale what works.”

For instance, Myer recently collaborated with Ebay to launch what it claims as the world first virtual reality store. Following a 12-month development phase, Myer’s virtual reality department store connects to the existing eBay site, which can be accessed by a new eBay VR Department Store app. Once the app is downloaded, customers place their smartphones in a set of ‘shoptical’ VR glasses to start the shopping experience.

“We’re not saying virtual reality is necessarily the way of the future, but we’re willing to give it a go and find out if this works or not,” Cripsey said. “We’re always looking at how we can improve the customer’s shopping experience today, and how we can keep moving in the future.”

Follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO conversation on LinkedIn: CMO ANZ, join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMOAustralia, or check us out on Google+: google.com/+CmoAu

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.
Show Comments

Latest Videos

More Videos

More Brand Posts

What are Chris Riddell's qualifications to talk about technology? What are the awards that Chris Riddell has won? I cannot seem to find ...

Tareq

Digital disruption isn’t disruption anymore: Why it’s time to refocus your business

Read more

Enterprisetalk

Mark

CMO's top 10 martech stories for the week - 9 June

Read more

Great e-commerce article!

Vadim Frost

CMO’s State of CX Leadership 2022 report finds the CX striving to align to business outcomes

Read more

Are you searching something related to Lottery and Lottery App then Agnito Technologies can be a help for you Agnito comes out as a true ...

jackson13

The Lottery Office CEO details journey into next-gen cross-channel campaign orchestration

Read more

Thorough testing and quality assurance are required for a bug-free Lottery Platform. I'm looking forward to dependability.

Ella Hall

The Lottery Office CEO details journey into next-gen cross-channel campaign orchestration

Read more

Blog Posts

Marketing prowess versus the enigma of the metaverse

Flash back to the classic film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Television-obsessed Mike insists on becoming the first person to be ‘sent by Wonkavision’, dematerialising on one end, pixel by pixel, and materialising in another space. His cinematic dreams are realised thanks to rash decisions as he is shrunken down to fit the digital universe, followed by a trip to the taffy puller to return to normal size.

Liz Miller

VP, Constellation Research

Why Excellent Leadership Begins with Vertical Growth

Why is it there is no shortage of leadership development materials, yet outstanding leadership is so rare? Despite having access to so many leadership principles, tools, systems and processes, why is it so hard to develop and improve as a leader?

Michael Bunting

Author, leadership expert

More than money talks in sports sponsorship

As a nation united by sport, brands are beginning to learn money alone won’t talk without aligned values and action. If recent events with major leagues and their players have shown us anything, it’s the next generation of athletes are standing by what they believe in – and they won’t let their values be superseded by money.

Simone Waugh

Managing Director, Publicis Queensland

Sign in