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Another significant shortcoming for online retailers is that if a customer is unhappy with their choice, they rarely come back. For many years, large marketplaces such as Amazon and iTunes have addressed this issue with their use of customer reviews. However, there is now a growing trend that addresses some of the above and is a bit more convenient for shoppers: "curated shopping" lets retailers avoid some of the pitfalls, while improving the online shopping experience for their customers. Here’s a brief overview:
- Smart (and social) filters:
- Personal shoppers with a difference:
- The community advises:
- Personalised shopping magazines:
Not sure that I agree that the curated shopping approaches are right but they do raise an interesting question: can the shopping model be "flipped" using digital means?
The current online shopping model is pretty much the same as the paper-based catalog or in-store shopping experience of the old days: browse a catalog, add items to a cart and then pay. The digitized experience can be more efficient (with searching, reviews, additional information, live help, etc.) but optimized does not mean transformed.
Can curated shopping transform the experience by having you pay first (for a curator's help), then receive products and return what you don't need or want? May not apply for apparel but maybe that grocery shopping would benefit from that flipped approach? Have an expert (diet guru, coach, famous chef) prepare recipes and a meal plan and automatically send you the appropriate items, along with the other things you need to run a house (cleaners, pet food, etc.).
What do you think?