Better navigate new purchasing behavior and respond to other inevitable challenges with 3D planning technology.

As the digital world weaves itself deeper into the fabric of our lives, e-commerce sales are predicted to account for 27.5% of total retail sales this year. In kitchen retail, survival in what is now termed the ‘next normal’ is only possible with adaptation, which requires digital transformation.

 

Digital transformation will enable kitchen retail businesses to react to and address new and emerging realities, driving success in the years to come. Technology such as the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution can help kitchen retailers adapt to the requirements of today’s consumers and their new shopping habits.

 

Here are six ways you can do this.

 

1. Offer a standout user experience

 

2020 saw a dramatic increase in the time people worldwide spent online – up from three hours and 11 minutes in September 2019 to four hours in March 2020. With the use of e-commerce to purchase furnishings expected to increase by 30% post-COVID19, a standout user experience on your website is essential to draw customers in and make them stay. It’s time to view your website as your new showroom, showcasing your offering in the best possible way.

 

With a 3D planning solution, kitchen retailers can offer a standout design experience like no other. The new generation of cloud-based 3D planning solutions can create real value for your users, allowing them to easily create and visualize their dream kitchen designs from anywhere, anytime, in a system that is both flexible and easy-to-update. Use granular insights based on consumer activity to personalize this experience further and close the gap. These features will enable you to increase the average transaction value per customer and, ultimately, shorten the sales cycle.

 

2. Make sure your content is social media friendly

 

Social media adoption has jumped by 12% in the past 12 months. Usage has soared with 82% of Instagram users now using the platform to shop and discover new products on the market. Kitchen retailers must therefore provide a way for their customers or followers to seamlessly create engaging and exciting social media-ready content that will get them talking and engaging with your brand.

 

A 3D planning solution not only allows your team to create great quality 3D renders that are perfect for sharing across your company’s social media sites, it also enables your users to put together their own creative designs which they will be excited to download and proud to share with their friends and family online. These stunning life-like renders help customers to accurately visualize their future homes and allow them to move from captured imagination to converted sale.

 

3. Make your e-commerce store about more than just speed and convenience

 

High street footfall has declined by as much as 65% this year, which has placed added pressure on websites and e-commerce channels to compensate for lost revenues. By integrating a 3D planning solution into your kitchen retail website, you can bring your product catalog to life on the screen and provide customers looking for inspiration with design concepts that they can apply to their own kitchens.

 

Offering up on-trend room designs and templates to visitors will increase engagement and ensure your customers remain interested throughout the design process. Users can even view renders of their kitchen redesigns from different perspectives, lightings, and times of the day.

 

4. Replace in-person with virtual consultations that are just as effective

 

Nothing can replace the reassurance that a consultation with a sales expert provides. Give expert consultations a digital makeover and transform them into virtual consultations that are both productive and satisfying, thanks to 3D planning technology. Users can pre-design their kitchens from the comfort of their own homes, personalized to their exact dimensions, and populated with their favorite products. Then, with visibility of the customer’s budget, designs, and preferences in advance, sales professionals can use the consultation to provide more insightful and helpful advice that will speed up time to sale.

 

5. Ensure end-to-end system integration

 

With reports that a third of staff are planning to work from home long term, streamlined and integrated processes and systems are more important than ever. An end-to-end omnichannel solution such as the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution can be implemented across the business and integrated seamlessly into enterprise systems. This allows you to automate critical processes like lead-gen and fulfillment to vastly improve and optimize the user experience. At the same time, staff will have visibility of the entire customer journey. This insight will enable your employees to operate efficiently in a multichannel sales cycle, which will ultimately generate profitability and increased market share for your business.

 

6. Create systems that can cope with sudden changes in demand

 

Retailers need to be ready for unpredictable and intense fluctuations in demand, which are being triggered by social media influencers. For example, in 2019 a £40 Zara dress became the most popular fashion item of the summer after going viral on Instagram. And TikTok, which has been coined the “social media sensation of lockdown”, continues to be immensely influential in driving the popularity of interior design trends. Kitchen retailers should learn from the lessons of the fashion industry and spot these trends early on to predict and create collections accordingly. A 3D planning solution is a rich mine of insights into user preferences. Big data analytics of your users’ designs can uncover what’s getting the most attention so you can anticipate future spikes in sales and adjust your plans accordingly.

 

Conclusion

 

Kitchen retailers should look at their response to changing customer requirements in a phased approach. What you must do now to ensure business continuity, what you must do next to prepare for this ‘next normal’, and finally what to do beyond the pandemic to put you in good shape for the long term. With a 3D planning solution such as HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers, you can ensure that you as a business have the technology in place to accommodate changing expectations now, enable demand response in the future, and get set for success.

 

Get in touch and schedule a demo to find out more: 3DVIA.Sales@3ds.com