Retail in Australia seems to be changing in a big way. From a consumers perspective I feel a void when out scouring the local shopping centre. Recently I decided that void was information or lack of.

Having worked many year in retail myself I have come to understand that not only is there a lack of information available in-store compared with online, but that the information that is being made available to consumers is not always correct.

Take for example when I worked in one well known retailer whose name shall be left unmentioned. I was approached by an unassuming customer who had a simple question about certain care instructions.

Being 17 at the time I hadn’t actually used one of these mysterious ‘washing machine contraptions, I had lived my life up until that point with the belief that if I threw my dirty clothes in the laundry basket  they would magically reappear clean and ironed in my room.

So in response to the lady I simply spurted out ‘um, cold hand wash’ because I had heard a colleague give similar instructions about an entirely different product mind you.

My point is that more needs to be done in the way of communication with the consumer in-store. Many retailers are suffering due to online shopping. The reason is because many online retailers are doing a magnificent job in the way of communicating to their target public.

In-store digital signage can provide the consumer with an in-store/on-line experience. The potential is limitless with what can be provided in the way of interactivity.

Sometimes retail assistants don’t have all the answers and this is where sales can be lost.  They will simply go home, do the research themselves then potentially find the item at a much lower price online from a competitor-most likely to be overseas.

Internationally we are seeing a spate of in-store digital solutions providing the consumer with a seamless transition from the internet to the physical store.

By having presence both online and bringing the experience in-store the retailer can be assured to cover all bases and reach all intended persons.

Red Design Group will start to introduce this idea to the Australian market over the next year by providing solutions for organisations that are unsure what the next step is in both retail and hospitality in order to keep up with the changing environment.

With many years of experience as both a retail assistant and a consumer I can see how this transition is necessary.

We need to reinvent the in-store experience.

Shift it from being a glorified wardrobe- in some cases- to an experience that can’t be replicated online!