Ovatko Klarna Smoooth Sessions -tapahtumat sinulle jo tuttuja? Kyseessä on paneelikeskustelusarja, jota Klarna isännöi ympäri maailmaa eri kaupungeissa yhteistyössä paikallisten vähittäiskauppatoimijoiden kanssa. Toissaviikolla toteutimme tämän tapahtuman ensimmäistä kertaa globaalina. 

Tämän vuoden Smoooth Sessions -tapahtuman kansainvälinen paneli koostui vähittäiskaupan ja verkkokaupan asiantuntijoista ympäri maailmaa. Peter Quinlan (PQ), Ticketmasterin kaupallinen johtaja; Christopher Raeburn (CS), RÆBURNin perustaja sekä Timberlandin luova johtaja; Tan France (TF) Netflixin Queer Eye sarjan stailisti sekä Sebastian Siemiatkowski (SS), Klarnan toimitusjohtaja kokoontuivat saman pöydän ääreen. Keskustelua johti Brittien Voguen entinen päätoimittaja, legendaarinen Alexandra Shulmanin (AS). Hyvän fiiliksen tapahtumaan varmisti maailmankuulu Dj Fat Tony. 

Keskustelun aiheena oli vuosi 2020 ja sen ennennäkemättömät kiemurat. Miten pääsemme eteenpäin ja mitä tulee tapahtumaan vähittäiskaupan alalla? 

Tässä muutamia kohokohtia paneelikeskustelusta: 

Experience is essential.

SS: We learn from experiences, and only through experience do we change our behaviour. This pandemic has certainly forced significant behavioural change amongst consumers. At Klarna, we’ve seen more older customers shopping online. When we ask retailers what they think their business will look like in the future, when stores fully open back up, they say it will be 50/50 online/offline. What a huge shift in channel use and that in turn will force retailers to re-think their future operations long-term. 

PQ: We’ve definitely had to pivot. No amount of planning works in this situation. But research shows a 90% confidence rate on fans returning to live events in the future. What is clear is that there’s been an extraordinary shift to digital. The events we are selling for now are 100% digital tickets. People are certainly more comfortable with digital everything.

TF: With regard to eCommerce growth, I do feel that when shops are back open we will see a spike in people going back in-store, at least at first. To experience the joy of browsing and shopping in a physical environment.

Focus on sustainability.

AS: Before Covid hit, many retailers were on a strong sustainability push. Will this now slow down?

CR: I am deeply concerned about what will happen in the future, environmentally in fashion. There is a massive opportunity for the industry to work together on how to repurpose clothing that is already out there – how can we make it better to begin with on a fabric-level and how we can recycle or repurpose it to extend the life cycle.

TF: In America we don’t talk nearly as much about sustainability as you do in the UK. Every UK press interview I do, sustainability comes up. It’s clearly a hot topic in Europe, it’s good that it’s on the agenda. 

Improve the online journey.

PQ: The goal at Ticketmaster is to cut down friction. Our job at Ticketmaster is to facilitate access to an experience, so we try to make the online purchase journey as easy as possible. 

TF: I used to own a retail business, and we always got stuck on how best to promote the products online. It is just so transactional. How can you capture your audience and make online buying more fun? And there’s the beauty of social, particularly Instagram, where you can browse, get inspired, see new styles, find recommendations. Transferring the experience of social to the etailer, where you feel you’re buying from a friend, is where it needs to evolve.

SS: Many online sites still look alike, a catalogue of products. Yes, friction needs to be reduced and the infrastructure needs to be sound. However, the convenience element is almost there. It’s even more important now to curate the online channel carefully to elevate the brand beyond just distribution of product.

PQ: We also need to get smarter about personalisation and data science, so we can anticipate shopper needs better and communicate with them in the touchpoints that matter most.

CS: You need to think about the rational v the emotional decision making process of the shopper. And then try to judge what they need, when they want it. You can’t know what every shopper needs on each day, but that’s also the fun of retail.

Differentiate.

TF: I treat myself as a brand now. And to be successful brands need to be authentic. I focus on being uniquely me and speaking my mind. And I give that same advice to retailers. Don’t do it for the PR, but do it because you truly mean it. Make people trust you and speak your truth.

Kaiken kaikkiaan keskustelussa päädyttiin optimistiseen näkemykseen vähittäiskauppiaiden mahdollisuuksista jatkaa toimintaansa vuonna 2021, palauduttuamme vuoden 2020 tuomista haasteista. Paneelin asiantuntijoiden vaihtelevat taustat ja kokemukset rikastuttivat keskustelua ja toivat monia hyviä näkökulmia siihen, miten vuodesta 2021 saadaan luotua menestyksen vuosi. 

Jäikö Klarna Smoooth Sessions välistä? Ei hätää – Klarnan