A New Generation Of Clienteling

The rapid adoption of smartphones by consumers has radically changed the way in which they shop. Armed with connected devices, consumers now have a digital "trusted advisor" with them when shopping in stores, allowing them to access a vast array of product information. The sales associate is now considered inferior to the smartphone, when historically this role was the sole product expert. Today's sales associate needs to pivot, transforming from a source of information to a facilitator of engagement. At the core of this pivot is a new generation of clienteling: a capability that leverages new commerce technology, enables seamless access to actionable data, has mobile-enabled associates, and embraces the in-store role of facilitator. In order to facilitate engagement, eBusiness leaders, along with their store operations and CIO partners, must put enterprise knowledge into the associate's hands at the point of the customer decision. This report offers an overview of customers' changing expectations and outlines how eBusiness leaders who drive omnichannel integrations can prepare for the evolution of the store associate and a new generation of clienteling.