“Blink and you could have missed it, but Apple’s plans to save retail were hidden among hundreds of announcements at WWDC — soon every digital consumer experience geek will be knocking on Cupertino’s door,” Jonny Evans writes for Computerworld. “It’s about the ‘omnichannel.’ This is something ‘digital experience managers’ get paid to think about. They must assess the impact of smartphones on ‘the customer journey.'”
“Impacts such as these: 79% of smartphone owners use their device to shop; 60% check prices while they are in the shops and purchase items from online retailers if they find a better price elsewhere; 57% expect brick-and-mortar retailers to offer them discount coupons via smartphone,” Evans writes. “This is what’s happening — and Apple’s plans for retail could help high street retailers survive against merciless online giants.”
“I believe Apple has quietly assembled the pieces it needs to make its tried, tested, successful omnichannel strategy available to retailers worldwide,” Evans writes. “And when it does, it might just save the high street.”
Read more in the full article here.