Phygital is already a reality in commerce

This is a change that has occurred so progressively that, in reality, we have not been fully aware of it. People have been adapting to different ways of interacting with their environment, which is no longer 100% physical or 100% digital.

 

We use mobile apps for almost anything: from booking a cab to reading a restaurant menu and, of course, shopping. We are not talking about the near future, no: we are talking about the immediate present.

The etymology is so simple that it is almost not even worth going into: phy(sical) + (di)gital. It is not a particularly brilliant example of naming, but that does not make it any less interesting a concept.

 

We have been seeing trends in this direction for a long time, interactions that jump from digital to physical but keeping clear the identity of the same person in both environments, to the point of becoming one.

 

Some very simple examples that we all know are showrooming or ROPO (Research Offline, Purchase Online), which consists of going to a physical store for advice and then buying on an eCommerce.

 

But there is also the opposite process: many people research online, but end up buying at a trusted retailer where they can also interact with the product physically.

Our obligation as marketers is to always find the opportunity within a context of change. Businesses must always be one step ahead of buying trends: it is the only way to be competitive today.

 

We are going to reinvent ourselves and, as far as possible, use technology to be disruptive, as a differential value.

 

Because this technology is advancing very fast and, at the same time, it is becoming more democratic. This means that it is no longer essential to make a stratospheric investment to digitize a business. There are many alternatives at different prices.

 

It is clear that Amazon can afford to set up a store in which each product is tracked and associated with a purchase without going through the cash register; but there are other alternatives that are also phygital and can be implemented by anyone.

Some examples:

There are many ways to transcend the single channel experience to all. As a strategy, it just takes a thought a little ingenuity.

This fashion company has created an omnichannel shopping experience that starts in the app and ends in a smart fitting room. Its customers select the garments they are interested in on their phone and, when they arrive at the store, not only are those models waiting for them, but the mirror itself, through augmented reality, shows videos of the collection and allows us to see the product in detail.

 

If we take a garment from inside the store, when we enter the fitting room it will be added to the digital experience thanks to a small RFID tag and its infrared connection to the system.

Another clothing store that has been able to turn the way of selling and buying upside down is Bonobos.

 

How does it work? By appointment. When we arrive an advisor is waiting for us, in his work he accompanies us and makes suggestions. When the shopping session is over, an online order is placed and we do not have to carry the bags. In a very short time we will receive our order at home.

We have talked at length about Amazon stores, which allow to make purchases without going through the cash register.

 

They are a display of technology, but this technical complexity is applied in such a way that, for the end user, shopping is much simpler and more convenient. We log in with our app and fill our cart. When we leave the store, the charge is sent directly to our account.

 

But Amazon is particularly active in this regard. They are always looking for solutions that work across channels, such as dash buttons (a way to order from the marketplace through a physical button) or the mobile app that recognizes objects through the camera and searches for them in Amazon's inventory, the barcode reader...