E-Business Applications for John Lewis- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theE-Business Applications for John Lewis. Answer: Introduction The future of retail business is largely impacted by the on-going digital revolution and transformation. The traditional aspect of retail business has been changed in the context of its nature, operational aspect and in scope with advent of internet and digital eco-system. The digital change is redefining the way of customer interaction and the way of customer engagement within physical channel and online channel. Retail giants all over the world are facing challenges to adapt with this transformation as this transformation is influencing the consumer behaviour and in specific the decision making process. Consumers now expect to have a good experience while they are purchasing something; the digital environment and use of internet can significantly improve this experience (Pantano, 2014). About John Lewis It is a well-known high end department store operating in United Kingdom and it is one of the leading Omni-channel retailers. It is providing quality, best service and unique value to its customers for 75 years. It has been an example for retail business which is delivering an extraordinary shopping experience through visionary adoption of digital and mobile technology. Johnlews.com is top online destination for shopping in UK with more than 280,000 products and alongside it has been awarded Best Furniture Retailer, Best in Store Experience, and Best Home wares Retailer at Verdict Customer Satisfaction Awards, 2017 (John Lewis Partnership, 2017). Future Retail through Digital in John Lewis John Lewis is one of the few retailers who are using digital technology to bridge the gap between offline and online consumers buying behaviour. John Lewis has kiosks which are digitally enabled and connected with in-store inventory and proving an option to customers to search for product ranges and order the product while they are in store. It has in store 3-D printing and RFID Tagging system. These two technologies enabled John Lewis in providing better customisation and range of variety to customers. Use of beacon technology in John Lewis store, is providing huge data regarding consumer behaviour within the store. Through use of those data, it can optimise its customer service and offerings (Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson, 2014). Their Click Collect counter has significantly reduced the waiting time of customers in store. Their interactive e-commerce website and mobile application are providing more unique value proposition to customers. John Lewis store is also equipped with interac tive Virtual Reality Installation and it is providing a unique customer experience while shopping. While focusing on delivering extraordinary in-store shopping experience, John Lewis is doing fantastic business internationally through huge investment for improved purchasing experience through mobile application and website. It has enabled delivery of its products in 40 countries and accepting payments in 10 currencies. Its technology supported Omni-channel approach has been a success story in terms of increased customer loyalty and repurchase (Blzquez, 2014). Conclusion In conclusion it can be said that John Lewis has improved customer shopping journey through huge planned investment in digital technology. In result it has awarded itself with better customer insights and provider of customer delight. For better digital adoption in their Omni-channel approach, it must focus on connected technology to improve product delivery and post purchase customer service (McCormick et al., 2014). References Blzquez, M., 2014. Fashion shopping in multichannel retail: The role of technology in enhancing the customer experience.International Journal of Electronic Commerce,18(4), pp.97-116. John Lewis Partnership 2017. About John Lewis. Retrieved 28 September 2017, from https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/about/john-lewis.html McCormick, H., Cartwright, J., Perry, P., Barnes, L., Lynch, S. and Ball, G., 2014. Fashion retailingpast, present and future.Textile Progress,46(3), pp.227-321. Pantano, E., 2014. Innovation drivers in retail industry.International Journal of Information Management,34(3), pp.344-350. Piotrowicz, W. and Cuthbertson, R., 2014. Introduction to the special issue information technology in retail: Toward omnichannel retailing.International Journal of Electronic Commerce,18(4), pp.5-16.