Understanding connected commerce for CPG brands

Let’s get phygital series #2

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What's connected commerce?

Connected commerce blends online and offline channels throughout the consumer's journey for consistency from discovery to purchase. It connects consumer touchpoints, such as social media, ecommerce, in-store, and advertising, for a cohesive shopping experience.

It’s also about putting the choice back into the shoppers’ hands. The integration of phygital touchpoints allows a shopper to interact with a CPG brand on their terms. This includes every shopper stage, from discovering a product and trying it out, to buying and receiving the goods.

Omnichannel consumer reach

In order to customize each step of the sales funnel for your brand and meet your shoppers’ needs, everything needs to be made shoppable. That means, all purchase paths need to be dynamic and accurate. CPG brands should be putting their products on as many digital channels as possible to gain the most consumer interest. It also means that shoppers can jump directly from awareness to purchase, in one shoppable click.

Connected commerce is about creating a unified brand ecosystem, improving conversion rates and customer satisfaction. This concept leverages technology to connect different aspects of the consumer journey, from initial awareness to purchase and beyond. Here’s how it affects retail ecommerce:

4 key elements of connected commerce

1. Omnichannel integration:

• Unified experience: Use a combination of online and offline channels (e.g., websites, mobile apps, physical stores) to provide a seamless shopping experience. For example, a consumer might browse products online, receive personalized recommendations, and then pick up their purchase in-store.
• Cross-channel engagement: Link your digital marketing efforts to in-store purchases by using data from online searches, social media, and store visits. This helps deliver personalized offers to the right audience, wherever they engage.
• Actionable, click-level data: Gain insights into customer behaviors, preferences, and purchasing patterns. Learn how you can use this to optimize marketing campaigns and improve ROI.

2. Personalized experiences:

• Tailored content: Offer personalized product recommendations and promotions, tailored to the consumer’s journey, driving engagement and loyalty.
• Custom reordering: Remind customers which items they enjoyed last time, because they’re likely to repurchase the same products again.

3. Connected devices: 

• Smart packaging: Include QR codes on your CPG items that consumers can scan with their smartphones for more product information, loyalty rewards, or interactive content.
• Home integration: Facilitate smart-home shopping by allowing consumers to reorder products or get product information through voice commands.

4. Enhanced customer service:

• Efficient feedback loops: Use customer feedback from various channels to quickly address issues and improve your overall brand shopping experience.
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Benefits of unified commerce & how it impacts retail ecommerce

Increased customer engagement:

• Seamless experience: Connected commerce ensures that customers have a smooth experience across all platforms, boosting satisfaction and loyalty.
• Enhanced interactions: By integrating various touchpoints, CPG brands can engage customers more effectively and keep them interested through personalized interactions and relevant content.

Improved sales and conversion rates:

• Personalized offers: Customize product recommendations for higher conversion rates and average order values.
• Efficient purchase paths: Reduce friction in the buying process and make it easier for customers to buy quickly.

Better data utilization:

• Insights and analytics: Gain deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences when you collect data across sources.
• Predictive analytics: Use data to address customer needs and trends, so you can anticipate your go-to-market plans.

Overall, connected commerce enhances the retail ecommerce landscape by creating a more integrated, personalized, and efficient shopping experience. For CPG brands, this means greater opportunities for engagement, increased sales, and data-driven success.

Achieve connected commerce with our shoppable solutions. Here’s how:

• Unified platform: Our technology integrates online, mobile, and physical store experiences, ensuring a seamless journey across all touchpoints.
• Consistent experience: Pear Commerce helps synchronize product information, promotions, location data, and daily inventory across different channels, improving consistency and convenience for customers.
• Advanced analytics: Pear Commerce uses data analytics to offer personalized recommendations, audience building and targeted marketing, improving overall engagement and effectiveness.
• Behavioral insights: By tapping into consumer behavior, Pear Commerce helps CPG brands understand their audiences' personal preferences.
• Efficient purchasing: With the shortest purchase paths available, Pear Commerce reduces checkout friction with one-click solutions.

Omnichannel sales let customers encounter your brand in various places, such as in-store, through social media influencers, or via Meta ads. To stay relevant, brands must adapt to current consumer preferences. Shoppable media and actionable store locators make it easy for customers to quickly convert.

Understand your consumers better than ever before

Integrated, personalized, and data-driven solutions enhance every aspect of the connected commerce experience, from discovery to purchase. In connected commerce, data is invaluable. When you integrate physical and digital touchpoints throughout your campaign, the connected commerce opportunities cascade down.

Pear Commerce’s tools enable you to create seamless paths to purchase and provide critical insights into consumer behavior. With visibility into the shopper funnel, CPG brands can better understand trends, inform product development, and drive customer conversions.

Get detailed sales data and campaign insights, boosting visibility and improving marketing performance. Why wait? Book a demo and see for yourself!