Sunday, October 26, 2014

Macy's to use Google's proximity platform

In November, Macy's will launch a search tool through Google that will provide consumers with local inventory.  Shoppers will be able to see the availability of an item at a price, color, and size level.  Macy's believes that this will increase sales going into the holiday season, which is a critical time for retailers.

This new initiative goes quite well with Macy's current omnichannel strategy.  Macy's understands that shoppers now are using many different types of technology to shop and enhance their shopping experiences.  87% of shoppers research online before entering a store and 79% of them search when they are in the store.  Macy's is also going to use these ads to showcase inventory that is more esoteric.  Thus these numbers suggest that that since shoppers are searching on their phones in-store, if they see these unique items, they may be more likely to purchase them as well.

I think this investment will be excellent for Macy's holiday sales.  They may drive additional in store traffic through this initiative.  Someone who may have initially stopped  at a different store in the mall, may see that Macy's has the same thing for less money in stock and they could convert this customer.  

Source: Ad Age

No comments: