Retail: how to make the most of virtual 

Appointedd is working with some of the world’s best retailers, so we’ve seen first hand  the impact that changing behaviours and shopping preferences have had since the world went into lockdown. Half of your retail customers will never return to pre-pandemic shopping habits and as a result, we’ve closely collaborated with high-street and e-com retailers, ensuring they adapt (fast) to meet their consumers online. 

Appointedd’s virtual and online services are now used by three times as many retailers than at the start of 2020. Virtual masterclasses and virtual events are taking the retail world by storm – since introducing a virtual offering powered by Appointedd, luxury make-up retailer SpaceNK experienced a 360% increase in online enquiry. Appointedd also powered virtual events with celebrity appearances that attracted more than 5000 retail customers and we saw another retail client introduce virtual events which sold out four weeks in advance. 

As a retailer weathering 2021, here’s how (and why) you can make the most of virtual.

Enhance your in-store revenue via online channels

Appointedd powers online booking for Mamas & Papas and in the last year, we’ve helped them pivot from purely in-store experiences and events to 100% virtual. 

Mamas & Papas Retail Director, Marcus Appleton led his team through the transition at the beginning of the first UK lockdown:

“Having worked with Appointedd for two years, we knew that the Personal Shopping service they support is an absolute revenue driver for every single store. We knew we needed to enhance that revenue through our online channels, but we were delighted when our first virtual group event sold out in 15 minutes.”

By drawing inspiration from real life and our retail clients, Appointedd has created a frictionless booking flow for both the customer and the business. Our retail widget:

•  Adapts to the look and feel of each brand including font, colours, content and images 
• Captures unlimited number of bookings (hello revenue) and enables you to run multiple appointments at once
• Creates a unique Zoom link for every booking, which is automatically sent via confirmation and reminder emails
• Generates a 100% conversion rate from booked appointment to paying customer

Appointedd also partners with other retail tech providers, and together, we’re taking virtual experiences to the next level!

SpaceNK’s CRM and Loyalty Manager, Hannah Templeman pivoted in-store services to not only meet local Covid-19 restrictions (stores closures) but to continue serving customers virtually: 

“Appointedd’s retail widget has helped us to be flexible and to offer meaningful engagement with our customers.”

Drive more revenue while keeping your staff off furlough

Covid-19 has been one of the most disruptive events to impact the retail industry. Not only have brick-and-mortar stores been forced to close, retail and wholesale staff were the worst hit in terms of furlough – claiming £3.3bn for 1.6m workers.

The retailers who’ve introduced virtual services via Appointedd have given their staff a job to do: serve customers from the safety of their own home and as a result, they’re driving revenue via their online channels. One of our retail clients has seen a 92% surge in orders since using Appointedd’s online booking tools and is hiring 300 people to cope with the demand!

Whether your staff are working from home, your head office, or from a closed store, Appointedd empowers your staff to connect with your customers virtually, from wherever they are. We’ve seen many different operational layouts as to how retailers are running their virtual appointments – whether it’s virtual personal shopping experiences, virtual make-up masterclasses, virtual showroom tours, or virtual VIP events – we’re happy to share more recommendations on this and how you can maximise return from your virtual services. 

It’s now or never

Having been here before, we know that it’s not the strongest that survives, it’s those most adaptable to change. Appointedd is delighted to be working with some of the world’s best retailers to help them make the most of virtual services – we’d love to help you too!

Appointedd can help you kick off your virtual offering which includes:

• Branded and bespoke retail widget creation
• Unlimited bookings for virtual and click and collect services, at no extra cost 
• One-off custom reporting, detailing further information on where your customers are booking from
• Account set-up, configuration and training with our expert Account Management Team

For more information, book a call with one of our team here.