Issues
The first issue is the lack of trust consumers place in virtual stores. Kimberly-Clark Corp. has created a virtual store that allows shoppers to browse products and purchase them within the same experience. The problem with this is that there is no real connection between the shopper and the product they are buying (O’Brien & Marakas, 2011). Further, the consumers are not familiar with how these stores work, and they may not know how much information about them is being shared with them. For customers to feel comfortable using virtual stores, there needs to be a better way to understand the information shared with them and how it is shared.
The second issue is that consumers do not know what they will buy or how much it will cost. This situation causes a lot of confusion for the consumer, who may not understand why they have been charged for something they did not order or need. Another issue that can arise is that the images shown online may not represent the product being purchased. This scenario can cause even more confusion within the consumer’s mind because what they see online may not be what they will receive when they get their product.
The third issue is customer loyalty programs and payment options. Customers may have difficulty adapting to new payment methods because they are unfamiliar with them, or they may find themselves unable to make payments due to financial issues or other reasons (Peukert, C., Pfeiffer, J., Meißner, M., Pfeiffer, T., & Weinhardt, C., 2019). For customers to feel more comfortable using virtual stores there needs to be a better way for them to access their accounts when they want or need it.
Analysis
Kimberly-Clark Corp. has these alternatives to address the issues identified in the study. One alternative would be to provide a wide range of products online and in physical stores. If Kimberly-Clark Corp. selects this alternative, it gives customers more options than just one or two products from a company’s lineup. If Kimberly-Clark Corp. chooses this alternative, it will allow the company to test new ideas with new products without investing in production facilities or inventory.
The second alternative is to offer customers access to reviews on products they have bought before to help them see how their previous purchases compare to other products on their website. If Kimberly-Clark Corp selects this alternative, customers will know what product they are buying before making a purchase decision (O’Brien & Marakas, 2011). This helps in reducing buyer’s remorse when it comes time for them to make a purchase decision again at another time.
The third way to address this issue would be to create an online store accessible via any internet-enabled device. If Kimberly-Clark Corp selects this alternative, it will allow consumers to search for products at their desks or on the go, eliminating the difficulty of finding a physical location and waiting in line (Lombart, C., Millan, E., Normand, J. M., Verhulst, A., Labbé-Pinlon, B., & Moreau, G., 2020). If Kimberly-Clark Corp selects this alternative, it would further allow the consumers to compare shops and purchase more product options than they could ever find in one place.
Recommendation
The authors of this case study recommend implementing a strategy that allows customers to browse through products and services before making a purchase decision. This interaction would let customers see how much they would like something and whether or not it is worth buying. This strategy could be implemented by allowing customers to search for products and services via keywords such as “shoes,” “clothing,” or “bikes.” The writer recommends implementing a strategy that allows shoppers to compare prices between different retailers. This strategy could be implemented by offering discounts on certain items if customers sign up for an email list or join a loyalty program.
One way to implement this is by creating a virtual store for the company. People can use digital marketing tools like Facebook or Twitter to advertise their brand and show off new products or styles. These digital marketing tools will allow customers to interact with products from their homes or offices rather than from physical stores. People can even include videos of the products being worn or used so people can see what they look like on real people instead of just models on websites or catalogues.
References
Lombart, C., Millan, E., Normand, J. M., Verhulst, A., Labbé-Pinlon, B., & Moreau, G. (2020). Effects of physical, non-immersive virtual and immersive virtual store environments on consumers’ perceptions and purchase behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 110, 106374.
O’Brien, J. A., & Marakas, G. M. (2011). Developing business/IT solutions. Management Information Systems, 488489, 74-89.
Peukert, C., Pfeiffer, J., Meißner, M., Pfeiffer, T., & Weinhardt, C. (2019). Shopping in virtual reality stores: The influence of immersion on system adoption. Journal of Management Information Systems, 36(3), 755-788.