Michel Perrinet, president of Octave, software publisher dedicated to retail and e-commerce players, développe les cinq tendances du retail qui marqueront l’année 2021.
Après une année 2020 marquée par la crise sanitaire et les confinements successifs qui ont conduit à la fermeture de la plupart des magasins physiques et à l’adoption de nouveaux modes de consommation, it is interesting to ask, aux premiers jours de cette nouvelle année 2021, what are the trends that will mark the retail landscape in the months to come. Five trends seem essential to Michel Perrinet, president of Octave, entreprise qui travaille depuis 20 ans à la digitalisation du commerce (200 clients), located in Angers, in Maine-et-Loire. A : very strong growth for omnichannel players. While the final act of purchase will always be carried out mainly in physical stores, the future is for marketplaces and retailers on the web. Companies that have not chosen omnichannel and digital channels will face a stronger market contraction. Selon l’étude menée par Google en partenariat avec Euromonitor datant de septembre 2020, les modèles multicanaux et les marketplaces généreront 86 % de la croissance des ventes au cours des cinq prochaines années. Of them : the basics of unified commerce. Click&Collect, ship from store, drive… le contexte 2020 a mis en exergue les méthodes d’achat omnicanales qui, if they are normal in the minds of consumers, may have sometimes been lacking for certain brands, lack of a suitable information system. The stake for these, and there are many, is to focus on the basics of unified commerce, more than seeking innovation at all costs.
A service economy
Three : create link. Versatile and volatile, consumers have pushed brands to adapt to new consumption practices, mixing digital and traditional relationships in physical stores. Le contexte inédit de 2020 n’a fait qu’entériner les nouvelles attentes des clients. Where we were in a logic of distribution and sale of products, we are now in an economy of services and experiences. Developing a differentiating and broader service offer for the benefit of simplifying and improving customer relations has become essential for anyone who wants to capture the attention of consumers and retain them. Among the most important elements expected by consumers, the need for quality service comes second (20 %), just after the ability to offer products anywhere and at any time (21 % )(source : étude Google/Euromonitor septembre 2020).
Four : the open-ended seller. If the omnichannel buying journey affects the product as such, more and more, consumers want a special relationship with the brand, or even with their sales advisor. The need to establish a bond of trust and to benefit from a quality of advice are the two main causes. This is manifested by the possibility of keeping a single point of contact throughout the purchasing process., online and offline. We can first discuss on social networks or via a chat with the same seller who will be found the next day in store. The latter can also broadcast online and from the store his own opinions on the products that he puts on the shelves and that he has tested himself. A practice known as “increased seller” which has notably been set up in the Cultura Belgium network.
Rental and second hand
Five : responsible purchasing and circular economy. By conviction or by necessity, the consumer is more and more attentive to his way of consuming. Second-hand rental or purchase, examples are multiplying. Decathlon is currently testing the rental of almost all of its product range in Belgium.. Promod launched its own vide-dressing site, offering its customers the possibility of opting for vouchers to be used in its network. The opportunity for the brand to recreate links and generate a new buying cycle. All sectors combined, le marché de la seconde main connaît une progression de 12 % par an (source : ZoneBourse.com). Et quand on sait qu’en 2020, one in three online shoppers has made a second-hand purchase (source : Foxintelligence), there is no doubt that many brands will be looking into the subject this year.
