Year 2 - NEXT Research & Communication Strategy Report

RESEARCH & COMMUNICATION STRATEGY REPORT

ABBIE NICHOLSON N0581024 WORDS: 3993

CONTENTS PAGE 04 Introduction 05 Methodology 06 Where are NEXT now?

09 Marketing strategy 12 Brand positioning 13 Core competencies 14 Competitiors 20 Macro environment 22 Macro trends 24 Pen portraits 27 SWOT analysis 28 Opportunities 29 Marketing strategy plan 32 Idea 1: Live chat 37 Idea 2: Social media campaign 43 Idea 3: Social media login 48 Timeline for implementation 51 Conclusion 52 Appendix 63 References 65 Bibliography 67 Illustrations

INTRODUCTION

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What features and user experience improvements with help increase online revenue and improve the overall customer experience for NEXT?

The aim of this project is to gain an in depth understanding of how important UX is for businesses today with the end objective to create three new features that will work along side NEXT’s current brand strategy in order to meet the aims of increasing online revenue and improving the overall customer experience for NEXT. NEXT have given insights into what their current strategy is towards user experience, however, what else could be done in order to make improvements?

All of NEXT’s multi-channel platforms will be looked at, including the website, android

application and both the iPhone and iPad application, in order to determine what platforms would benefit most from an UX improvement.

In store experience will also be considered. The improvements or new features will be created with the consumer in mind, so that they are able to use these tools to enhance their journey on the NEXT channels. In order to gain validation, the ideas will go through usability testing by whom they were made for, this is an important step in the design process as it helps validate whether or not they would be successful if launched.

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METHODOLOGY In terms of primary research, ethnography was conducted outside the NEXT store in Nottingham Victoria Centre. An hour was spent on a Wednesday afternoon, watching who went inside the store and left with a purchase; someone leaving with a NEXT carrier bag determined a purchase. With new carrier bag laws, these made the results less accurate as purchasing customer were probably missed because they had their purchases in other branded bags. Once a purchase was identified, their age was taken. The aim of this research was to find out who was the main demographic that shopped at NEXT. Along side this a survey was conducted where 34 people aged 18-64 responded. It was posted on social media sites, given to colleagues, friends and family that have shopped at NEXT in the last 12 months with the aim to find out who shops at NEXT and how they shop at NEXT. Questions helped determine consumer’s opinions on customer service and shopping online compared to shopping in store.

The results from the ethnography and survey helped decided who would be interviewed. A 38 year old parent of two and a 23 year old graduate, both female, were both asked the same questions, the interviews allowed a more in depth and personalised response to find out why people shop at NEXT and what it is they do that makes them return. It also got the interviewees talking about cons of NEXT and shopping in general, in order to get thinking about what improvements could be made.

Secondary research started with looking at the company reports of NEXT and their competitors to understand the market they are in and how successful they are in it. Other sources included looking at databases such as Mintel to get statistics, new articles and LinkedIn reports were used to get other opinions on NEXT and the retail market.

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WHERE ARE NEXT NOW?

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“NEXT has overtaken M&S as the clothing market leader, as sales were up 3.0% to 4.1 billion in 2015.”

(NEXT, 2016) NEXT’s business is in good shape, with steady growth in its retail division and strong online sales. This has meant that it remains one of the consistently solid players in a challenging fashion sector where specialist clothing retailers are losing share of the overall market. (Academic.

Mintel.com, 2016) NEXT’s 2015 company report shows that 2015 was a solid year for them, with profits before tax up 5% on the previous year proving that they are a strong competitor in the retail industry.

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NEXT state that ‘the primary financial objective of the NEXT group is to deliver long term returns to shareholders through a combination of sustainable growth in earnings per share and payment of cash dividends.’ For a large company like NEXT they will follow a strategic approach to the objective they wish to achieve.

Their current strategies include the following: •Improving and developing NEXT product ranges, success in which is measured by sales performance.

•Profitably increasing retail selling space.

New store appraisals must meet demanding financial criteria before the investment is made and success is measured by achieved profit contribution and return on capital against appraised targets.

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MARKETING STRATEGY PRICE

Being a mid-market retailer, NEXT’s current neutral pricing strategy offers their established customer base continuity and familiarity, as they know what to expect and helps to maintain the customer’s perception of quality. It also offers NEXT flexibility when it comes to pricing for promotional or seasonal purposes and allows the retailer to remain competitive across all its sales channels.

Online, NEXT rely heavily on link selling. When purchasing online, the ‘style with’ section allows customers to see items that compliment the selected item. This helps improve KPI’s for NEXT. NEXT also rely heavily on their clearance stock and sales, this is something that contributes largely to NEXT’s overall sales. Their trading statement published in November 2016, stated that ‘Markdown sales have grown faster than full price sales due to a much larger end-of-season Sale in July.’

PRODUCT

According to the mission statement of NEXT, their focus is providing high quality and beautifully designed product for their customers. For this reason maintaining and improving their quality and design of their products is very important for NEXT. This is applied to all departments and sub-brands of NEXT. It is estimated NEXT have approximately 30,000 products across all departments. Their vast product choice allows customers to come in store and purchase varied products and services. It also gives them a competitive advantage against other stores.

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PLACE

NEXT are a multi-channel retail company with multiple channels that consumers can browse and purchase their products. NEXT now have 540 stores creating a large retailing space.

Having such a vast amount of stores located all around the UK and Ireland allows consumers to shop at NEXT with ease at a location that is convenient for them.

Another popular channel is the NEXT directory, which is a catalogue where customers can browse products then order them and receive products by post. With total directory sales increasing by 7.7% by the end of 2015, this shows that is still a successful and relevant channel for NEXT to sell their products.

Online channels include the website, mobile site and the recently launched mobile applications for iPhone, iPad and android.

These channels offer more choice to the consumer and allow NEXT to market their products more effectively to a larger target market. Changes to people’s lifestyles has changed the way we now shop, and the busier social and working lives of potential customers means there is a greater need and demand for convenience (Weiss, 2009).

PROMOTION

The majority of NEXT’s promotions are focused online with promotions, advertising and communication showed on their website and social media channels.

Social media is a tool that any brand should utilise and NEXT are making a conscious effort use it effectively. With sites such as instagram growing in popularity, NEXT post daily to promote their products to their 416K followers.

NEXT still use traditional advertising in magazines such as Vogue that shows off their new advertising campaigns to their target audience.

NEXTs strong marketing strategy is due to how established the brand are, this is evidenced from their success year on year. Brand awareness is high with consumers instantly recognising products because of NEXT’s design philosophy to build fashionable, high quality and affordable products. This has helped them build a strong and loyal customer base.

A possible weakness within this strategy is whilst NEXT due have a loyal customer base and a clear target market in mind, the target market could be seen as broad. This could make it

difficult for them to design and create products, as it is hard to create a customer specification.

NEXT also implemented key delivery strategies that boosted online sales to ÂŁ1.5 billion (Lopez, 2016). For example, they created new services including next day delivery when you order before midnight (at a discounted price) and the extremely popular click and collect option. Collectively, these help fill the need that consumers have for demanding a greater merge between the experience of shopping in store and the convenience of online purchasing.

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BRAND POSITIONING

The map above shows NEXT and its competitors in relation to price and online presence. For fashion retailers social media and their online presence has become more important for businesses as it has a huge influence on the way consumers make purchasing decisions. Brands such as ASOS and Missguided have found the perfect balance of social media marketing and are highly influential on places such as instagram and twitter and it has helped them become the successful brands they are today, connecting with millennial’s via these touch points. Whilst ASOS have 5.4million instagram followers, NEXT only have 418k, showing that NEXT are struggling with their online presence, which could determine the brands success in future years. Other competitors such as John Lewis and M&S are similar in terms of price and online presence, meaning NEXT need to improve their online presence to set themselves apart in the saturated market that is fashion retail.

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NEXT’s original core competencies are that they have made full use of internet shopping at home, making click and collect and next day delivery before midnight there original USP that put them above competitors.

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COMPETITORS

#1 ASOS

‘Over the past 12 months, over 20% of the UK population placed an order with an ASOS website.’ (Lauchlan, 2016) This shows the success of the huge online only retailer, which has become one of the UK’s most successful e-commerce companies since its launch in 2000.

CEO Nick Beighton says that he is really proud of the work they’ve done in technology. Being an e-commerce platform, making investments in technology is very important in order to meet the needs of customer who expect utmost ease and speed in their shopping experience.

Like other retailers, ASOS has seen the shift to mobile purchasing, with mobile purchasing making up 50% of purchases in the UK according to mintel.com. ASOS know their customer base of tech savvy millennial’s and how they like to shop; they also use its visual platform to showcase loyal fans and their purchases. ASOS are constantly engaging with customers so that they engage back with social media; their social media presence is huge and plays a huge part in their marketing strategy.

In May 2015 ASOS also became one of the first UK brands to make its Instagram account shoppable, through ‘As Seen on Instagram’ links to its website. The function lets its customers ‘shop the look’ in a series of regularly updated shoppable Instagram posts that link directly to products featured on their feed. ASOS’s currently have 5.4million followers, the majority of which will be millennial’s. ASOS are again keeping up with technology trends that will drive the fashion industry in the future.

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‘Over the past 12 months, over 20% of the UK population placed an order with an ASOS website.’

(Lauchlan, 2016)

fig.8 ASOS are very trend focused and they use their homepage in show off the latest trends as the visuals are usually changed every week to keep the website looking fresh. When you begin to shop through the website you can see the innovative features ASOS use in order to help improve sales. In 2006, they were the first online retailer to launch catwalk videos.

Millennial’s wanted to be able to get more of a feel what they are buying and the catwalk video allows them to do so. This feature is not just beneficial for millennial’s but for anyone online shopping as zooming on a static photo isn’t enough anymore. Another feature that is very popular amongst customers is the ‘saved items’ basket. This allows people to browse through the website and put anything they like in the saved basket which gets saved for them for 60 days. If a customer is unsure of whether to purchase they can always come back at a later date to purchase it.

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#2 M&S

Having begun as a market stall, today it is considered to be one of the UK’s leading multinational retailers with over 1,382 stores worldwide, including 468 stores in Eurasia and the Middle East. Marks & Spencers are seen as an iconic British brand on the high street and are considered as one of the UK’s top brands.

M&S have long been a competitor for NEXT however, NEXT has overtaken M&S as the clothing market leader, as sales were up 3.0% to 4.1 billion in 2015, with clothing only making up 42% of M&S’ turnover. On the other hand, they have had great success in food, which makes up 58% of their turnover and revenue up 3.6%. (M&S, 2016) Because of this the retailer recently announced plans to shut around 30 UK stores and convert 45 more in an effort to overhaul the company’s infrastructure to help fight against competitors such as NEXT. Their marketing strategy is to emphasise the quality and heritage across all their products.

They have been able to create a modern, simple yet distinctive brand across all its offerings. There continue to invest in their digital development and in May 2016, Partick Bousquet-Chavanne, M&S’s marketing boss said that he wants to ‘offer rich engagement’ across all platforms, including ‘in-store, digital, mobile and TV advertising.’

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The Marks and Spencer’s website above takes a less colourful approach to ecommerce. The homepage features ‘workwear’ and is aimed more towards their older consumer. In 2014, M&S redesigned their website with the design we see today, however, the redesign led to an 8% decline in sales at the time. The most common customer complaints were that ‘finding items they want was proving a challenge’ and ‘navigation was hard to use

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and very different to the ones they were used to.’ (Digital Tonic, 2014) In terms of user experience, the frustrating experience meant that consumers on the site were leaving the site and leaving their shopping cart unpurchased. M&S did not take these complaints into consideration, as the site is still the same today.

#3 HOUSE OF FRASER Online sales increased hugely by 26.8% showing that department store shopping is still alive and well.

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House of Fraser is a department store group with 59 enviable locations across the UK and Ireland. As one of the best-known names on the high street, House of Fraser has presented customers with an unrivalled nationwide department store for over 165 years. Their 2015 financial report shows that sales increased by 4.2%, with online sales increasing hugely by 26.8% showing that department store shopping is still alive and well despite growth for the company coming mainly from online sales (House of Fraser, 2016). After posting their Christmas finance results, they left competitor NEXT behind with House of Fraser having a healthy sales rise of 2.7% compared to NEXT’s sales down -0.4%.

(NEXT PLC, 2017)

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fig.12 House of Fraser are focused on online and digital innovations that have accounted to the huge online growth they have had, these can be seen on their website and applications.

House of Fraser homepage is promotion-led to get people clicking and purchasing. The search bar has an auto-suggest function that also tells you how many products are available is used to improve customer experience. The simple navbar lets you shop by department or brand giving the homepage an uncluttered, clean look so customers aren’t overwhelmed by the choices they have. The interactive menu allows customers to search for the product they want with ease. The ‘inspire me’ tab leads you to their online blog, which gives you posts on trends in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. The posts have clickable links, which allows you to shop the products you are reading about.

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MACRO ENVIRONMENT

POLITICAL

There are a wide range of political factors that could affect NEXT and it’s trading, however, the most recent factor is the results of the EU referendum. Leaving the EU will undoubtedly have a significant effect on UK businesses and businesses wanting to trade in the EU. Retailers such as NEXT should be prepared for a decline in the sterling, rising cost of credit, possible disruptions in trade credit insurance (especially for mid-market retailers) and they should expect weaker consumer and business confidence (retaileconomics.co.uk, 2016). This also means that goods purchased overseas will be more expensive, for retailers such as NEXT it could mean that have to start looking at purchasing materials and other items closer to home.

ECONOMICAL

The retail industry has seen a decrease in in-store sale in the past few years. The biggest shift in the retail industry is the shift to ecommerce because of the change of customers purchasing behaviour. While this increase in online sales is keeping the retail industry afloat, it has had negative effects on the high street with stores closing or companies decreasing the amount of stores they have. With this said retailers such as NEXT needs to be doing thing to keep the in-store experience rememberable and positive. If customers, especially millennial’s, are going to spend their time in physical stores, they need to feel stimulated and engaged. But if the shift to ecommerce is here to stay NEXT needs to keep online platforms and apps simple and easy to use, in order to keep customers coming back.

SOCIAL

Millennial’s or Generation Y are driving retail sales but their expectations around having a personalised service are different than those of their parents generation. For retailers such as NEXT, the ability to offer personalised services are crucial. Millennial’s are an important generation and retailers are realising this and are forming consumer relationships that could last decades. Millennial’s are almost three times more likely to expect the stores they visit to know all about their online shopping and research on that retailer’s website (49% of millennial’s feel this way vs. 18% of boomers) (Salesforce uk blog, 2016) This proves that millennial’s expect much more from retailers meaning that NEXT need to do more in providing a exciting and personalised customer experience across all platforms.

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TECHNOLOGICAL Advances in technology means that people are able to shop via their phone easier than ever. Instagram is a growing platform, 48.8% of brands are on Instagram and by 2017 this is predicted to rise to 70.7%. Engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than Facebook, 54 times higher than Pinterest, and 84 times higher than Twitter. (Smith, 2016) which shows Instagram is becoming the go to platform. Over a third of Instagram users have used their mobile to purchase a product online– making them 70% more likely to do so than nonusers (Smith, 2016). Brands are using instagram shoppable tags to sell their products are this is something NEXT could implement through their instagram. Instagram said it now has 150 million daily users on the stories feature of its photo-sharing site that was inspired by a popular Snapchat product, which broadcasts short videos that disappear after they are viewed, or after 24 hours. Instagram’s number for stories matches the statistic Snapchat gives for its total daily global audience. (thebusinessoffashion, 2017) It has been revealed that instagram are going to introduce advertising to its stories feature, with such a large audience this could be a huge opportunity for NEXT to get involved with, helping them reach new audiences.

ENVIRONMENTAL

As online shopping grows, the amount of packaging does too. A large retailer like NEXT have a huge impact on the environment and it is their responsibility to reduce emissions and to create a sustainable business. Fashion that is cheap, quickly discarded and that spirals into ever shorter and faster production and has a role in climate change related challenges. The process in which the clothes are made also has a huge impact on the environment, and with consumers becoming more concerned with the impact the items they purchase on the world, the new conscious consumer could affect NEXT’s sales. Meaning they need to be more transparent with their ethical values.

MACRO TRENDS

#1 TALKING SHOP

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‘As the software that powers platforms such as Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger improves and becomes more nuanced, these forms of communication will mainstream in the customer service sector and we’ll see people increasingly speak to brands as easily and informally as they would with their friends.’

(Mintel, 2016) As social media platforms continue to rise in popularity, they are now no longer seen as unsecure and unreliable platforms, which has led them to becoming a trustworthy channel that connects brands and consumers. The use of social media in customer service is rising in importance and should not be underestimated in 2017. With this said, NEXT actively started to use social media to engage with customers in a friendly yet professional manner, this helps maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. This proves that customers want instant access to customer service, with calling a phone number and haven’t to wait in line in order to chat to someone not being good enough anymore.

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#2 PERSONALISATION

;People-centric retail models are emerging, specifically online-based services that are designed carefully around a particular individual.

This idea of building an experience around a shopper’s tastes is moving into the store environment.’ (Deloitte United Kingdom, 2016) As mention in the above PESTE, personalisation is beginning to be expected by consumers, especially millennial’s. NEXT need to spot this and meet the needs and preferences of the consumer.

Customers want to be independent and individual, and they also want the services they receive to be this too.

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#1

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#2

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Based on research, there are two main consumers for NEXT. #1 is a 23-year-old graduate, she has recently got a job in her dream career where she has to commute there and back everyday. On her long commutes she spends this time reading her favourite magazine Elle and checking her phone constantly like most millennial’s do. When she gets home she tries her best to eat as healthy as possible but likes to have a cheat at the weekend.

She is a fashionable woman and likes to express this in her workwear as well. #2 is a 38-year-old parent, she has just had her second child and balances work on top of this.

She is a hardworking mum and puts family first but still likes to have her ‘me’ time and doesn’t let her age or busy life get in the way of her style.

She spends her nights relaxing in her beautiful decorated home reading a book or Elle.

My research found that these were the two consumes that stood out. With time it shows that #1 could age and grow into consumer #2. With the right customer care, NEXT can see consumer’s age with the brand.

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STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

-NEXT continue to prove they are a strong brand, with their profits are sales increasing year on year.

-Having such a vast range of products and services helps them compete in the saturated fashion and home market.

-NEXT are very customer serviced focused, consumers report having positive experiences in store and online. Primary research showed that NEXT was on average scoring 8 out of 10 for their customer service.

-Fashion trends are constantly changing, some may argue that NEXT aren’t as fashion driven as other competitors on the high street, which is a disadvantage if consumers decided to shop elsewhere for this reason.

-Online platforms and applications aren’t as technologically advanced as competitors; anything to improve the ease of purchase and to create a positive user experience would help NEXT here.

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

-NEXT were slow to realise the potential of mobile commerce, with them only releasing a mobile app in 2015. The results have been encouraging with conversion rising significantly, ‘from 4.2% to 5.8%’ (NEXT PLC, 2016). With this said NEXT have the opportunity to grow this platform in order to encourage more people to purchase via this channel.

-Customer interaction/involvement could be increased via social media channels.

-Its competitive advantage has eroded in the last year or two to the point where rivals have caught up with the company’s delivery and warehousing capabilities.

-Consumers are becoming more demanding in terms of order fulfillment requests, wanting greater control over the specific timings or location of their deliveries, or collections. NEXT could meet the needs of consumers by letting them get their items delivered to third party stores, which would increase convenience.

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OPPORTUNITIES & OBJECTIVE The future of NEXT holds countless opportunities for them to carry on being the market leader in the UK fashion retail market. Research has shown that they are a strong brand and have the resources and platform to be bigger and better. Places of opportunity for them include: -Using social media to build loyal customers and influence buying.

This can also help them reach a new audience and get them involved with the brand. This would help drive sales to their online platforms, in turn, increasing sales and profit.

-Technological advances should be applied to both in store and online in order to maintain a positive user experience and to meet the demanding needs of today’s consumers, this will be a long-term investment that should help NEXT in the competitive market.

-Fashion trends and retail trends are always developing and changing and NEXT should be ready to change with them. For example, personalisation. Meeting the consumers need will encourage purchases and keep them coming back.

-A short term goal should be to improve their application on mobile devices. De-cluttering the navigation bar and adding a wish list are simple ideas that will improve user experience.

NEXT should aim to increase online sales by 5% in the next 12 months. With this should come a decrease in abandonment rate and an increase in conversion.

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MARKETING STRATEGY PLAN

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IDEA 1 // TEXT ONLY LIVE CHAT

fig.21 The trouble with online shopping is that many customers feel disconnected from someone who can answer their questions quickly with precision, leading them to abandon their potential purchases. Instead of watching these visitors leaving the website NEXT can create a live text-only chat on the NEXT website where visitors can immediately talk to someone if they have any question or concerns. It can be offered pro-actively while customers are browsing, or used tactically at various key points of the purchase journey. A live chat is an effective way for customers to communicate immediately with staff members on hand; research found that ‘live chat has the highest satisfaction levels for any customer service channel,

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with 73%, compared with 61% for email and 44% for phone.’ (Econsultancy. com, 2013) The quick response time could be helpful as a sales driver, for example, BoldChat found that 31% of online shoppers from both the US and UK saying they would be more likely to purchase after a live chat. It would also help increase online revenue and conversion rate as it is an effective way for NEXT to decrease their abandonment rate, Another bonus to this feature is that it will give NEXT the edge over its competitors, as live chat is still not a commonly used design feature. Top retailers and NEXT’s competitors such as John Lewis and ASOS are still not offering this personalised customer experience.

HYPOTHESIS

Improving customer service will lead to the increase of online revenue and conversion rate as it is an effective way for NEXT to decrease abandonment rate.

PERSONA

Maria is a 35-year-old working mother; she shops online mostly at night when she finally has time to herself. She shops online for the ease as she finds it hard to browse in store. She puts her family first and loves things that are simple and easy to use due to her busy lifestyle.

USER STORY

Maria has come home from a long day at work, and after cooking dinner and putting the kids to bed she finally gets into bed with her husband. She looks at the weather report and it has forecast snow for tomorrow, she decides she needs a new coat in order to keep her warm. She knows NEXT offer next day delivery if she orders before midnight so she logs onto NEXT.com on her laptop and starts to search.

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For the iPhone and android app, the live chat will not be a pop up on the bottom of the webpage, but it will have its on page on the app. Once ‘live chat’ is selected it takes you to a dedicated chat page. This makes the chat easier for the user to use making them have a better customer experience.

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The initial set-up and implementation of a live chat tool is quick and easy, secondary research found that a fully customized and integrated chat typically takes around 10-20 days to set up and launch. This is quite quick and the reduced implementation time keeps budgets low and technical teams happy.

The cost per interaction of live chat is lower than most alternative methods like phone or email support. Because of quicker response times, staff members spend less time per interaction, meaning the interaction takes up less of the staff member’s time, which reduces the need for extra employees.

Another way to decrease costing is to not have the chat 24 hours, having the chat active between the hours of 7:00am – midnight. These suggested hours come from the fact that people tend to use their phone and browse online in the morning before work where their time is limited, so the quick response chat would work effectively here, to midnight which is the cut off point for NEXT’s next day delivery service.

Testing techniques will include asking NEXT consumers of varied age and gender their opinions of the idea and whether this is an idea that they would use if the needed. NEXT will find out if the idea has been successful by doing a customer satisfaction survey 30 days after implementation to find out whether having this feature has helped reduce basket abandonment. Google analytics can also help with this statistic and hopefully show a reduced number in sales being abandoned.

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IDEA 2 // #IAMNEXT

fig.27 Instagram is a growing platform, 48.8% of brands are on Instagram and by 2017 this is predicted to rise to 70.7%.

Engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than Facebook, 54 times higher than Pinterest, and 84 times higher than Twitter. (Smith, 2016) which shows Instagram is becoming the go to platform.

Over a third of Instagram users have used their mobile to purchase a product online– making them 70% more likely to do so than non-users (Smith, 2016). To increase sales and online presence NEXT should launch a new online channel entitles I am NEXT, which links customer generated visual content on Instagram to ecommerce. The page will allow users to share photos of themselves wearing

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NEXT products on the social media site Instagram using the hashtag #iamnext.

NEXT can then use a visual commerce platform such as Olapic to pull all of the images with the hashtag into a system that NEXT staff can access to manually link the item featured in the photo to the correct product page in the transactional area of the site. NEXT staff can filter the images in the system by product type as well as an individual’s followers. Each image must be approved by NEXT to appear on the I am NEXT channel. ‘Olapic charges a yearly licensing fee for retailers to buy the software and take a percentage of the increase in conversion on the site (proved via A/B testing).

HYPOTHESIS

The increase of social media engagement will create a strong following of customers and increase loyalty, this in turn will increase traffic to NEXTS website increasing conversion and profits.

PERSONA

Kate is a 22-year-old graduate and has recently started a job in her dream career and moved into a small flat out of town that she rents. She spends her mornings and evenings commuting to and back to work, on her commute she spends her time like most millennial’s on her phone browsing her social media sites. She is a fun and outgoing person and uses instagram for inspiration and to generally look at what other people have been doing in their lives.

USER STORY

It is 5:15 and after finally finding a spare seat on the train she finally gets a moment to relax after a busy day at work. She puts on her headphones and loads up instagram and scrolls down her feed.

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(Drapers, 2014) Jose de Cabo, chief operating officer and co-founder of Olapic, said ‘customer photos are the most authentic, compelling and abundant brand assets available today. Smartphones and platforms like Instagram have turned all of us into models and photographers and we are the critical link connecting brands with consumers in a more meaningful way.’ This increase of customer interaction will help increase sales for NEXT as people will be more influenced by social media users than an image in a NEXT catalogue. Another advance of this feature is for NEXT to add the user-generated images at the bottom of a product page so customers can see how they can be styled before purchasing. Once implemented there should be an increase of user engagement on social media, which should also help increase sales on the online channels. This can be measured by a 3 month review, this can help give an understanding of who is engaging and using the new feature. Before it is launched it will be tested with consumers aged 21-25 to find out their opinions on the feature and whether they would engage with it and whether it would influence their purchases.

IDEA 3 // SOCIAL MEDIA LOG IN

fig.33 ‘According to Baymard Institute, a web research company in the UK, 67.45% of online shopping carts are abandoned.’

(Shopify’s Ecommerce Blog, 2013) For every 100 customers, 67 of them will leave an abandon their baskets, if NEXT were to decrease this abandonment rate they would see a big difference in sales and profit. Nngroup 2014, said: ‘one of the most common complaints we hear in e-commerce usability research is about registration.’ Registration involves extra time and extra hassle, having to put in large amounts of personal information and creating new passwords. ‘Forced registration is a major cause of checkout abandonment, with a quarter (26%) of respondents in a recent Econsultancy survey stating that being forced to register would cause them to abandon a purchase’ (Econsultancy, 2013). Making this process quicker and easier will in turn create more online sales. Signing in to websites using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google is easy and convenient. Customers do not have to fill in large amounts of personal information making purchasing this way more convenient. Once you are ready to checkout on the NEXT site you have the option to log in or to register, add the ability to register with Facebook, Google or Twitter and you will give customer a quicker and easier option to purchase.

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HYPOTHESIS

Making the checkout process easier and quicker, this will influence more sales and decrease the basket abandonment rate.

PERSONA

Sarah is 28-year-old marketing assistant and is married with no kids. She lives out of town and drives to work everyday. At the weekends she spends her time off with her husband decorated the house they have just moved into.

USER STORY

It is Saturday night and Sarah is sat down on her laptop browsing the online fashion sites. She has never shopped on NEXT before but a colleague recommended their knitwear to her. She finds a jumper she likes and goes to checkout. Sarah hates filling out long forms so she hopes she doesn’t have to create an account.

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Having one password for multiple accounts may go against what people are told about online security, however, it is extremely convenient for the user by reducing frustration at the login in page and improving the overall user experience. It also allows NEXT to access their profile date, which will allow NEXT to personalise marketing material and product suggestions. This information could also be seen as a disadvantage, people often use false information on these sites, signing up with a nickname or with old accounts the email address may not be the one they use now. This is why the feature should be validated by trialing it for a month by only rolling out the feature to a small percentage of traffic. This will help to see whether it will cause NEXT to have a catalogue of false customer data or whether it will decrease customer frustration and abandonment rate.

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TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

The process on the timeline must be followed for each feature.

PLANNING (4WEEKS)

DESIGN (4WEEKS)

The planning process will last a total of 4 weeks and will include; requirements analysis, project charter, site map for additional feature and determining required software and resources. It will also consist of additional research, who is the additional feature intended for and how can we make it with them in mind?

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The design process is important and will again last 4 weeks. This will include creating initial sketches and wideframes so the visual layout can be seen. After this mockup based on the requirement analysis will be created then reviewed to decided whether any changes and improvements need to be done. Then coding for the feature on site must be created.

DEVELOPMENT (2WEEKS)

Development lasts 2 weeks.

After the design stage, the features must be tested.

The feature must be shown to a small subset of the aimed audience for test purposes. This offers the ability to quickly measure KPIs while also checking for misplaced code or a poor experience. Once the functionality is tested and the usability is confirmed then the development is complete.

LAUNCH (4WEEKS)

The launch process will last 4 weeks, this will include polishing the features ready for the official launch. It will then be transferred to a live server. More testing will be carried out to make sure there are no technical difficulties. Then a final cross browser must be carried out to make sure the feature is usable across all platforms (iPhone, android, tablet ect).

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POST LAUNCH Measure, measure, measure.

Post launch is where KPI’s and success metrics are important. The features must be continually monitored, conversion rates, average order values, order values by departments, number of hits on the checkout page per department, and more.

For the social media registering, focus more on form submittals and follow-ups. If the features start having a negative effect on KPI’s the features must be looked at again to see where improvements could be made. Once the features are launched feedback must be provided to all stakeholders.

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fig.39

To conclude, the report looks at where NEXT are now and where the improvements could take them in the future. NEXT are a strong brand with loyal customers but as a large retailer they want to continue to grow. The strategic implementation of adding new features to the site such as a live chat, social media campaign and social media log in will help them improve sales by increasing customer satisfaction, creating a new and fresh online presence and making the site easier to use. NEXT said that they want to ‘develop new online advertising techniques for recruiting new customers and reactivating existing customers.’ The social media campaign aligns with their goal of doing this as social media is becoming more influential that a campaign in a magazine. These features will also help NEXT reach out to new audiences that may not have shopped at NEXT before, and with the new features it will making their buying process quick and easy that could influence their decision to shop again at NEXT. In conclusion, if NEXT were to implement the three features outlined in this report, KPI’s such as conversion rate and overall profit will increase whilst abandonment rate will decrease.

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APPENDIX Survey Results (39 responses)

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Interviews INTERVIEW 1 DATE: 23/12/2016 INTERVIEW LENGTH: 2:11 To start things off, how often do you shop at NEXT, and how long have you shopped there?

[0:00] I shop at NEXT quite often, probably at least once every 2 months. I mainly purchase clothing for myself but I sometimes buy a few home bits and I brought a few gifts in there for Christmas as well. I think I’ve been shopping in there since I turned 30, so I’m 38 now so around 8 years. I originally started shopping in there for clothes for work but you always go in and see something you like but never intended to go in for, then before you know it you’re going in every month to see what’s new.

What is it that makes you go back every month to purchase more? [0:29] To start off with it was just because they were one of the only places that did workwear that wasn’t your typical boring workwear, but now its because they just do clothing that I like. I think NEXT are good for clothing that suits my age and its reasonably priced for what your are getting. You’re paying for quality as well. I mean, they do some pieces that I look at and imagine someone of your age wearing but I do think a lot of it is focused on women in there 30’s that still want to be somewhat fashionable. I also think its just an easy place to shop in, I’ve never had any bad experiences in there stores or online which is always a plus. Back when I had my second son as well, its somewhere I could buy something for him and myself at the same time. When you only get an hour to yourself its nice to be able to do everything all under one roof.

Have you purchased through their website or apps before? [1:13] Through their website yes, through apps no never. I have their app on my tablet but I rarely use it. It easy to purchase through their website because you can get it delivered to a store so you don’t have to pay for delivery and you can just go collect it whenever you can. You don’t have to worry that you’re going to miss the postman. I think I’ve also used there next day delivery before midnight before too, I needed something last minute, I cant remember what it was, I think it might have been a dress for a wedding that I had to go to last minute. So that’s always helpful.

What would you say are the pros and cons of online shopping compared to shopping in store? [1:45] Pros would be that you can do it in the comfort of home; sat on the sofa in your scruffy clothes and sometimes you just don’t have the time to go shopping or the patience to go on a bust Saturday.

A con would be that sometimes what you buy doesn’t look like the picture. There’s nothing worse than when that happens, however, it is easy to return things NEXT so it’s not the end of the world when that happens its just annoying.

Thank you for your time

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APPENDIX –INTERVIEW 2: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS DATE: 05/01/2017 INTERVIEW LENGTH: [1:12] To start things off, how often do you shop at NEXT, and how long have you shopped there?

[0:00] Well I normally go shopping every few months and I always go in there when I do but sometimes ill be browsing their website and end up buying something. SO I would say every few months.

And I’ve not been shopping there long, probably only in the last year or two. I would of never gone in NEXT when I was a student purely because I simply couldn’t afford it but when I finally got a graduate job and had money I always find really nice fashionable pieces in there!

What is it that makes you go back every few months to purchase more? [0:20] They just always have pieces I love, if they didn’t have anything I liked I wouldn’t purchase from them. I do think their prices are reasonable too for what you’re buying.

Have you purchased through their website or apps before? [0:35] Through their website yeah but I didn’t even know they had an app otherwise id probably would of purchased from their too. I always end up purchasing through apps on my commute to work; it’s just so easy.

What would you say are the pros and cons of online shopping compared to shopping in store? [0:51] I like doing both. But there’s so many pros of online shopping, you can do it wherever you want and at whatever time. If you finish work at 5, but need something to wear for the weekend you just don’t have time to go into the shops because they shut as you finish work. You also get more choice online; there’s normally more stock. You can also buy from brands such as ASOS that don’t have a physical shop. The cons are that sometimes you order something and it looks completely different in real life, I’ve had things come and a different colour to what they are on the website. This is annoying because it can be a ‘faf’ returning things.

Thank you for your time

Ethnography results FEMALES 18-24 [4] 25-34 [8] 35-44 [6] 45-54 [6] 55-64 [5] 65+ [1] Total: 30 MALES 18-24 [0] 25-34 [2] 35-44 [3] 45-54 [5] 55-64 [0] 65+ [0] Total: 10

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NEXT PLC, (2016). Annual Reports & Accounts - January 2016. [online] Available at: http:// www.nextplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2016/ NEXT-Annual%20report%20Web%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017].

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NEXT PLC, (2017). Trading Statement - January 2017. [online] Available at: http://www.nextplc. co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2017/Q4%20Trading%20Statement%20Website%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

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Nngroup.com. (2014). Don’t Force Users to Register Before They Can Buy. [online] Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/optional-registration/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2017].

Retaileconomics.co.uk. (2016). What does Brexit mean for the economy and the UK retail industry? | Retail Economics. [online] Available at: http://www.retaileconomics.co.uk/brexit/what-doesbrexit-mean-for-UK-retail [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Salesforce UK Blog. (2016). When it Comes to Shopping, Millennials are Searching for the ‘Star’ Treatment. [online] Available at: https://www.salesforce.com/uk/blog/2016/11/millennial-shoppers-are-searching-for-the-star-treatment.html [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Shopify’s Ecommerce Blog - Ecommerce News, Online Store Tips & More. (2013). Why Online Retailers Are Losing 67.45% of Sales and What to Do About It – Shopify. [online] Available at: https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/8484093-why-online-retailers-are-losing-67-45-of-sales-andwhat-to-do-about-it?rodeo_token=dda005d5-3077-4f8d-a2b2-7ee712b80619 [Accessed 19 Jan. 2017].

Smith, K. (2016) 37 interesting Instagram stats for 2016. Available at: https://www.brandwatch. com/blog/37-instagram-stats-2016/ (Accessed: 2 December 2016).

The Business of Fashion. (2017). Instagram Puts Ads on Stories as Users Reach 150 Million. [online] Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/instagram-putsads-on-stories-feature-as-users-reach-150-million [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

The Huffington Post. (2016). 4 Reasons The Retail Industry Is Declining. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sharifa-murdock/4-reasons-the-retail-indu_b_9142282.html [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Weiss, Y. (2009). Work and leisure: A history of ideas. Journal of Labor Economics, 27(1), 1-20.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Academic.mintel.com. (2016). Clothing Retailing - UK - October 2016: NEXT. [online] Available at: http://academic.mintel.com/display/798321/?highlight [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].

Armitage, J. (2017). Next Directory was great in its time - but now time is leaving it behi. [online] The Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/next-directory-was-great-in-its-time-but-now-time-is-leaving-it-behind-a6951691.html [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].

Clicky Media™. (2016). UK Social Media Stats | 2013 vs. 2016 | Clicky Media. [online] Available at: https://www.clicky.co.uk/2016/07/social-media-stats-2013-vs-2016/ [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017].

Deloitte United Kingdom. (2016). Retail Trends 2016 | Deloitte UK. [online] Available at: https:// www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/retail-trends-2016.html# [Accessed 16 Jan. 2017].

Digital Tonic. (2014). What went wrong with Marks and spencer’s website redesign?. [online] Available at: http://www.digital-tonic.co.uk/digital-tonic-blog/went-wrong-marks-spencer-website-redesign-made-lose-sales/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Drapers. (2014). Asos launches As Seen on Me community. [online] Available at: https://www. drapersonline.com/retail/ecommerce/asos-launches-as-seen-on-me-community/5060648.article [Accessed 17 Jan. 2017].

Econsultancy. (2013). The pros and cons of a Facebook login on ecommerce sites. [online] Available at: https://econsultancy.com/blog/61911-the-pros-and-cons-of-a-facebook-login-on-ecommerce-sites/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2017].

Harrison, N. (2014). Analysis: Why did M&S’s new website fail to click into place?. [online] Retail Week. Available at: https://www.retail-week.com/technology/multichannel/analysis-why-did-mssnew-website-fail-to-click-into-place/5062287.article [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

House of Fraser, (2017). House of Fraser Full Year 2015/16 Trading Update. [online] pp.1-3.

Available at: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/on/demandware.static/Sites-Site/Sites-hof-Library/ default/v1429147320966/2016/13.04.16House%20of%20Fraser%20-%20Full%20Year%20 1516%20Trading%20Update.pdf?version=1,429,606,907,000 [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Lauchlan, S. (2016). ASOS - building e-commerce success on tech investment. [online] diginomica. Available at: http://diginomica.com/2016/04/15/asos-building-an-e-commerce-success-story-on-tech-investment/ [Accessed 7 Jan. 2017].

Lopez, L. (2016). ASOS : A Case Study in Brand Advocacy. [online] Available at: https://www. linkedin.com/pulse/asos-case-study-brand-advocacy-lehdis-lopez?trk=mp-reader-card [Accessed 7 Jan. 2017].

Lopez, L. (2016). NEXT PLC : A Profile of E-commerce Done Right in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/next-plc-profile-e-commerce-done-right-uk-lehdislopez?trk=mp-reader-card [Accessed 7 Jan. 2017].

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Marriott, H. (2017). How Next went from fashion outsider to high-street heavyweight. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/mar/20/next-fashion-highstreet-retailer-clothes-success [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017].

M&S, (2016). Annual Report & Financial Statement 2016. [online] M&S. Available at: http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/M&S_AnnualReport_2016.pdf [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017].

Mintel, (2016). European and Consumer Trends 2017. Mintel, p.27.

NEXT PLC, (2016). Annual Reports & Accounts - January 2016. [online] Available at: http:// www.nextplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2016/ NEXT-Annual%20report%20Web%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017].

NEXT PLC, (2016). Trading Report - November 2016. [online] NEXT PLC. Available at: http:// www.nextplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2016/ Trading%20Statement%20Nov%202016.pdf [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017].

NEXT PLC, (2017). Trading Statement - January 2017. [online] Available at: http://www.nextplc. co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2017/Q4%20Trading%20Statement%20Website%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Nngroup.com. (2014). Don’t Force Users to Register Before They Can Buy. [online] Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/optional-registration/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2017].

Retaileconomics.co.uk. (2016). What does Brexit mean for the economy and the UK retail industry? | Retail Economics. [online] Available at: http://www.retaileconomics.co.uk/brexit/what-doesbrexit-mean-for-UK-retail [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Salesforce UK Blog. (2016). When it Comes to Shopping, Millennials are Searching for the ‘Star’ Treatment. [online] Available at: https://www.salesforce.com/uk/blog/2016/11/millennial-shoppers-are-searching-for-the-star-treatment.html [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Shopify’s Ecommerce Blog - Ecommerce News, Online Store Tips & More. (2013). Why Online Retailers Are Losing 67.45% of Sales and What to Do About It – Shopify. [online] Available at: https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/8484093-why-online-retailers-are-losing-67-45-of-sales-andwhat-to-do-about-it?rodeo_token=dda005d5-3077-4f8d-a2b2-7ee712b80619 [Accessed 19 Jan. 2017].

Smith, K. (2016) 37 interesting Instagram stats for 2016. Available at: https://www.brandwatch. com/blog/37-instagram-stats-2016/ (Accessed: 2 December 2016).

The Business of Fashion. (2017). Instagram Puts Ads on Stories as Users Reach 150 Million. [online] Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/instagram-putsads-on-stories-feature-as-users-reach-150-million [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

The Huffington Post. (2016). 4 Reasons The Retail Industry Is Declining. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sharifa-murdock/4-reasons-the-retail-indu_b_9142282.html [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Weiss, Y. (2009). Work and leisure: A history of ideas. Journal of Labor Economics, 27(1), 1-20.

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ILLUSTRATIONS Fig.1 NEXT PLC, (2016). NEXT Spring Summer Campaign. [image] Available at: http://prshots. com/image/details/726787/0?sr=0 [Accessed 13 Jan. 2017].

Fig.2 NEXT spring summer campaign 2. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726790/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.3 NEXT spring summer campaign 3. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726767/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.4 NEXT spring summer campaign 4. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726763/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.5 NEXT spring summer campaign 5. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726783/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.6 Brand Positioning map (2017) [image] Fig.7 NEXT autumn winter campaign 1. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/652393/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.8 ASOS homepage screenshot. (2017). [image] Available at: http://www.asos.com/women/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.9 M&S autumn winter campaign. (2016). [image] Available at: http://ris.fashion.telegraph. co.uk/RichImageService.svc/imagecontent/1/TMG11074671/p/17_3026686a.jpg [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.10 Marks and Spencers homepage screenshot. (2017). [image] Available at: http://www.marksandspencer.com [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.11 House of Fraser Campaign. (2014). [image] Available at: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/jiqmbb-mavw/VONbWr21MkI/AAAAAAAAHgs/TMJyfpDAX1c/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B201502-17%2Bat%2B15.10.06.png [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017].

Fig.12 House of Fraser homepage screenshot. (2017). [image] Available at: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.13 NEXT spring summer campaign 6. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726763/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.14 Talking Shop Trend. (n.d.). [image] Available at: https://c.marketingtechblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/benefit_priority_response.png [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.15 Personalisation Trend. (2016). [image] Available at: http://www.wcommunicationagency. com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/personalisation.jpg [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.16 Pen Portrait 1 (2017) [image] Fig.17 Pen Portrait 2 (2017) [image]

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Fig.18 NEXT spring summer campaign 7. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726771/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.19 NEXT spring summer campaign 8. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726764/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig. 20 NEXT spring summer campaign 9. (2017). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/726766/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.21 Live Chat. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://www.propertystream.co/content/uploads/livechat.jpg [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.22 NEXT autumn winter campaign 2. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/652406/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.23 User Journey idea 1 (2017) [image] Fig.24 Initial Sketches live chat website (2017) [image] Fig.25 Initial Sketches live chat app (2017) [image] Fig.26 Prototype live chat website (2017) [image] Fig.27 Instagram Logo. (2016). [image] Available at: http://cosmouk.cdnds.net/16/20/980x490/ landscape-1463406655-instagram-logos-old-and-new.jpg [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.28 NEXT autumn winter campaign 3. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/689471/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.29 User journey idea 2 (2017) [image] Fig.30 Initial Sketches social media campaign (2017) [image] Fig.31 Prototype social media campaign website (2017) [image] Fig.32 Niomi Smart in NEXT. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/details/689471/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.33 Social Media Login. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://blog.centresource.com/wp-content/ uploads/2015/09/social_media-1.jpg [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.34 NEXT autumn winter campaign 4. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/689467/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

Fig.35 User Journey idea 3 (2017) [image] Fig.36 Initial sketches social media login (2017) [image] Fig.37 Prototype social media login (2017) [image] Fig.38 NEXT autumn winter campaign 5. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/689472/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

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Fig.39 NEXT autumn winter campaign 6. (2016). [image] Available at: http://prshots.com/image/ details/689470/0?sr=0 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017].

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