World Cup Fever: how should retailers respond?

Whatever your favourite iteration of the now ubiquitous (and undeniably catchy) meme, there’s no denying that World Cup Fever has truly taken hold of the nation. England’s inspiring prowess in Russia has spurred in nearly all of us a feeling of hope and positivity, completely out of character for the Brits, which is encapsulated in Baddiel, Skinner and the The Lightning Seeds’ 1996 ‘Three Lions’ and the internet’s gleeful response

While you’d have to have been living under a rock to have missed the public’s reaction to the World Cup, how exactly have retailers responded?

“Over 30 million people tuned in to watch England’s last match – that’s over half of the adult population. That’s 30 million people who spotted Gareth Southgate, the England manager, donning a stylish waistcoat. M&S, who are the nation’s largest retailer of formalwear have responded by promoting waistcoats with a picture of Gareth on their homepage – they now have seen a 35% increase in waistcoats”, Craig Smith, Vice President of Customer Success at Amplience, said.

“But could M&S have done more to exploit the opportunity by producing content that helps guide the customer to explore the range through additional content such as ‘Shop the Gareth Southgate Look’ or a ‘Waistcoat Buyers Guide’? However, the challenge for M&S, as with many other retailers, is to have a sufficiently agile content process that can create engaging content in time to maximise the trading opportunity. The faster the production process, the more contextual and on-trend the shopping experience, and the better it will perform.”

So, how should retailers respond to World Cup Fever? Smith sat down with PaymentEye to discuss the retail reaction.

Where are retailers lacking in their response to World Cup fever?

While many retailers do spot the opportunity to react to World Cup moments, the challenge is to have a sufficiently agile content process that can create engaging content in time to maximise the trading opportunity. The faster the production process, the more contextual and on-trend the shopping experience, and the better it will perform.

Which emerging technologies could potentially help retailers to effectively capitalise on World Cup fever in the future?

The key technologies that will help retailers capitalise on the World Cup are automation and smart technologies for content production. Being able to generate a larger number of customer journeys and experiences will help retailers to build brand loyalty in an increasingly competitive digital marketplace. The key is to manage content, promotions and stock in an integrated way that connects with potential customers in real time.

Does the instore experience still have a place in helping retailers to react, or should online and mobile channels be the primary focus?

Digital transformation and the rise of ecommerce means that stores will become less preoccupied with stock volume and be able to focus more on crafting unique brand experiences. This means incorporating the latest digital technologies – such as digital displays and real-time analytics – to personalise the customer experience. With the right insights prompting the right offers at the right time, a retailer can participate not only in a customer’s shopping decisions but their everyday lives and experiences. Meanwhile, behind the scenes content creators will be able to automate content generation, delivering personalised and timely experiences across all devices and platforms that drive brand loyalty and long-term retail success.

Is it coming home?

Absolutely – I’m rooting for England to go all the way! The odds are currently sitting at 5 to 2, and although we’re only third favourites, Brits have always loved an underdog story. Either way, the boost to national moral has certainly led to a boost in consumer confidence too. That’s a welcome sound for brands who faced a harsh winter.

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