How We Shop:
Internet of Things, Big Data, Social and Mobile Changes Everything

For years, retailers have sought to improve their understanding of the almost mythical ‘path to purchase.’ Many will remember Paco Underhill’s Why We Buy – The Science of Shopping from 1999 that showed them how “hard data gleaned from thousands of hours of field research in shopping malls, department stores and supermarkets across America could help retailers understand shopper behavior and improve the bottom line.”

Fast forward to our world of social media, big data, IoT and mobile and its heady times, indeed. Big data can now give retailers a precise, factual understanding of how shoppers move around their stores. Smart retailers have optimized store layouts, fixtures, staffing, and product offerings based on what they learned.

As retailers continue to understand that shoppers incorporate social media commentary and photos into their purchasing decisions, expect to see more sophisticated screens in stores and the portability of retail experience from store to online through smartphones and tablets. Great opportunity for analytics capture also!

Beverly Macy is the co-author of The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing. She also teaches Executive Global Marketing and Branding and Social Media Marketing for the UCLA Extension. Email her at beverlymacy@gmail.com.