The Future of eCommerce // 2017 edition
In exciting times, such as now when the fashion industry is learning to fully embrace technology and understand the crucial part it plays in our society, eCommerce is not falling behind in its customer offering.
We’ve rounded up the key trends that will be making an impact in 2017 and what we’ll be keeping our eyes on:
1. See Now Buy Now
Seen during SS17 fashion weeks across the board but initially presented by Burberry, the ‘See Now, Buy Now’ model is being embraced by luxury catwalk brands such like Prada and Christopher Kane for capsule collections. Although being put on hold for the likes of Thakoon and Tom Ford, we predict wide adoption as the industry shifts and the model becomes more refined.
“The current way of showing a collection four months before it is available to customers is an antiquated idea, and one that no longer makes sense” Tom Ford
2. Visual Search Technology
At his “See Now, Buy Now” collection in February, Tommy Hilfiger added an additional element: visual search. The audience at the show were not only able to see the latest designs, but could also identify them immediately on their smartphone simply by taking photos. What could be described as a ‘Shazam for clothes’, this functionality would be a fantastic technology for any brand especially in line with the already available smart image search from Pinterest.
3. Chatbots
AI is undergoing huge investment in terms of money and research and has already produced everyday examples: chatbots. Widely adopted by retail brands and social platforms alike, chatbots are set to be big and when used correctly, they can be a great asset to your eCommerce team. Chatbots can provide automatic answers to everyday queries and offer the real-time interaction that some brands can manage due to resources. This will continue to evolve, providing a more customised approach with styling and sizing suggestions and real-time stock updates.
4. Real-Time Customisation
In this time of instant gratification, customers have higher expectations and we are moving towards a shopping experience that adapts to the shopper in real-time. With the increase in data capture and subsequent potential of personalisation, each shopper will have access to unique content: product recommendations and add-ons chosen based on their preferences, geographic location, market trends, demographic group, past purchases, and brand interactions, making their shopping experience completely unique.
Whether or not they can be applied to your business now, these trends are definitely worth looking it and considering for your strategy ahead. Even if they’re not the perfect fit for you, they will shape the way customers think and interact online and its worth doing your research and identifying how the above can work for you.