Retail Dude

Before proceeding to the main topic let me build up some context. I will first of all like to define what touch point means for a retailer.  Actually touch points are the instances of interactions between retailer and customer/potential customer. But take these interactions into broader meaning, because in retail if a window display attracts a customer to a store, this eventually comes under an interaction. So keeping retail business in mind I categorized these touch points in two broad categories –

1.       Active touch Points

2.       Passive touch points

Now the active touch points are those where a retailer/associate/customer facing group has a face-to-face/phone/email interaction. But a passive touch point includes advertisement/windows display/store atmosphere/word of mouth etc but these also have equal amount of influence on customer as compared to active touch points. Further these two touch points can be divided into “Managed touch points” like store atmospheres and the customer facing group these things a retailer can managed according his own wish and can also manipulate things , but there are some “Non-managed touch points” like word of mouth on which the retail don’t have any control.

But now in this era of technology one more dimension has been added to the touch points for the retailers. Now we can classify touch points for the retailers into –

1.       Traditional touch points

2.       Digital touch points

Traditional touch points are the touch points which include store display ambience etc, customer facing group, and TV/banners/Radio advertisements. But the digital touch points are those which involve websites/email/mobile SMS/MMS or Mobile applications.

Internet is here for many years now and maximum retailers now know the potential of web and are using it as a good touch point for their customers. This not only increases the reach of a retailer but also facilitates customers in many ways most prominent of them is convenience and time. But with the evolution of smartphones and the launch of much talked and promoted iphone this interaction/touch point reached a new height about which I will talk in my next post till then happy reading guyzz ………

-Prateek Katiyar

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