Drive-to-Store Strategy for Eyewear

What is a Drive-to-Store Strategy?

Retail, and eyewear shop in particular, is constantly evolving. It's important to think omnichannel, which means combining digital levers with more traditional, in-person ones.
A "drive-to-store" strategy uses online marketing actions to attract customers to physical stores.

This strategy involves digital campaigns, using methods such as geo-tracking, push notifications, virtual try-on or gamification, to attract foot traffic. According to Google, this is a real challenge for retailers, as 42% of Gen Z and 38% of Millenials still spend in-store.

What expect retailers with a drive-to-store strategy is increasing foot traffic and sales for brick-and-mortar stores.

Why is it important to have a drive-to-store strategy and get traffic in-store?

Consumers want a simple, barrier-free shopping experience, no matter where they are. Brands therefore need to make the act of buying accessible, whether they're at home, on vacation or in the city center. 
For this reason, it's important to offer a seamless shopping experience across all channels, whether online, in-store, and on all types of device.

Implementing a drive-to-store strategy then helps retailers bridge the gap between online and offline sales.
On the other hand, it offers more safety and flexibility for customers.

In-store shopping allows customers to physically touch products, try them out and examine their quality before purchasing them. Which is especially true when choosing new glasses. 
There's also immediate purchase satisfaction, as customers leave directly with their new product.
Last but not least, the in-store shopping experience offers an in-person service and social connection that online sales do not.

What are the benefits of a drive-to-store strategy for eyewear brands and retailers?

Establishing a drive-to-store strategy is more than just a nice-to-have as an eyewear business. Whether you are a brand or a retailer, it enhances customer value. Here is what you can expect about growth and sales:

• Increase in foot traffic: Drive-to-store campaigns can help increase foot traffic to local stores by attracting customers who are already interested in the brand’s products or services. It multiples your touch points therefore channel of conversions.
  

• Improved customer experience: By providing customers a one-on-one experience, you bring safety and trust to the shopping journey as shoppers overcome their doubts. And on top of that, you allow them physical engagement.

• Higher conversion rate: With a high-quality and in person service, glasses shoppers are more likely to buy a new pair in your retail store. As they can touch the product and get personnal recommendation from staff, it reduces their feeling of risk to purchase.

• Increase in brand awareness: By using multiple channels in your sales strategy, you also increase brand awareness. People can easily be aware of your products either online and offline. Indeed, online visitors might find your brick-and-mortar and vice versa.
  

• Generate data and insights about customers: Identifying customers' behaviors in real life allows your brand to strengthen online data. By observing people you can discover new trends and new habits you have yet observed in the digital world.

How to measure the impact of a drive-to-store strategy?

To measure and track the performance of your drive-to-store strategy, certain key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you gauge the impact of your efforts:

• Number of in-store visits: Measure the number of people who visited your store after interacting with your campaign. You can track this data using location-based tracking tools.

• Duration of visit: Measure how long customers spend in your store. You can use this data to assess whether the in-store customer experience leads to purchase actions.

• Conversion rate: Calculate the percentage of visitors who made a purchase after visiting your store. You can monitor this result using point-of-sale data or conducting satisfaction surveys.

• Return on investment (ROI): Identify the financial return of your marketing investment. You can calculate this KPI by dividing the revenue generated by the campaign by the campaign cost.
  

By following these indicators, you can gather valuable insights into the effectiveness of your drive-to-store strategy and make informed decisions to optimize your campaign.