Canadian Retailer - Store 2016 - 21

current with our inventory. We have kiosks in all of our stores
so the customer can make online purchases right there. And
they'll also be able to buy via mobile phone and tablet soon.
All of our stores will be wireless as of January 2017. We have
digital screens in all of our stores and are testing interactive
screens that let customers choose an outfit and see what it will
look like on them. Our customers are boomers but everyone has
embraced technology. We've also built proprietary technology
that allows me to walk into a store and see how our products are
selling: I scan an item with my phone and see exactly what the
sell-through is in that store versus anywhere in Canada.
Russell: We've got a robust e-commerce system. This year we
became mobile friendly and saw growth in our sales almost
overnight. It's been a really positive experience for us. But
we're really investing in the store. We're focused on the customer experience and will only implement digital technology
where we feel it's going to enhance that. I'm not sure if running a continuous loop of vendor commercials is going to do
that. We're spending time and money on merchandising, displays and lighting to improve the entire customer experience.
Longo: We've done a lot of
work on our CRM system
and what we call our 'Thank
You' rewards loyalty program. We brought a number of disparate systems
together to create a 360-degree view of the customer.
It helps us understand what
they buy and what they don't
buy. It allows us to send them
email offers that are relevant
to them. On the e-commerce
front, with Grocery Gateway
we're committed to home delivery-we think that's the
ultimate in convenience. We
will continue to learn and
listen to our customers and
are thinking about whether
or not to offer click-and-collect service.

Sjostrand: IKEA is a very practical company.
So we've made adjustments recently to get our
backend running smarter and smoother for the
customer. We do small upgrades all the time
and have shopping applications that allow customers to scan items and build shopping lists.
It's well used. We've also started to use digital
in the store but our deep knowledge of people's
lives at home is most important. The showroom
in Etobicoke is built on the Etobicoke market.
The showroom in Winnipeg is built on the Winnipeg market. And we take into account the size
of the homes in each of those areas, too.

"Digital communication
lets us engage with our
customers effectively
and immediately...It's
all about customer expectations and how you
live up to them."
- STEFAN SJOSTRAND
IKEA Canada

Simpson: We have digital
screens in our stores to create an element of 'theatre' and 'romance' to the experience. We send out a lot of emails, offering
customers relevant, personal content they can use. You can't
offer today's consumer anything less. It can't always be about
selling. You have to focus on the customer with great digital
content. If you don't, they'll opt out of receiving content immediately. So, we give people reasons to engage that go beyond product-based.

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Caldwell: We recently integrated our systems to take better care of customers. That's
what's driving us. We want their experience
with us to be excellent. We've also enhanced
our website. It's important when you're selling
furniture to show compelling video and great
product photography.

Soleas: We've reinvented ourselves over
the past 15 years. We've put a lot of technology into our stores. But we've really
invested in our supply chain, automating
it to see a product from the time we place
the order to the time it's received at the
store. We've also automated our warehouse:
when cases come out at the end of the line,

STORE 2016 | CANADIAN RETAILER

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