BOSTON - An executive from Sears at eTail East 2015 said that the department store plans to bring customer history information to its associates at bricks-and-mortar locations through the use of mobile technology so they can better assist shoppers.

During the Mobile Innovations: Peering into the Future of Retail session, the executive empathized the importance of using customer information to really build relationships. Leveraging these personal touches can make lasting customers, and the retailer hopes to see in-store sales associates creating the same experience as it offers through mobile connecting all parts of the brand together. 

"We do have personalization today within our experiences we are recommending products based on what we know about you, we are recommending promotions based on what we know about you and a variety of other things," said Marisa McClearn, senior director of product management at Sears Holding Company. "What we know about you is learned across all of our channels.

"There is definitely continued opportunity there," she said. "We will continue to strengthen that, know even more about you and take our integration to our stores. 

"We are testing and learning a variety of different technologies. Whether someone is around our store or in our store, we are testing a variety of different pieces there so expect to see tighter integration in terms of blurred lines between the different channels."

Seamless Sears
Mobile offers a strong connection to customers and Sears will be furthering its personalization through mobile efforts in-store and out, taking advantage of specific information based on user history. 

Sears is working on further integrating all aspects of its brand to create a seamless experience for its members and loyal customers. The brand is cognizant of the strong bond that is built when accessing consumer data and serving them features and relevant content that coincides with their interests and past history.

The department store can access purchase history, location data, past search info and other details that offers insight to what will be helpful to them in the future.



At the moment, rewards members for Sears will have content related to their interests served to them via mobile, desktop and over the phone with customer service. While on the phone with customer service agents, these employees can view all the customer information in real-time, which can help the experience be more positive. This same information will soon be available in-store to associates via mobile. 

Mobile experiences
Like many other retailers, Sears is striving for a future in which all aspects of the brand are cohesive and there is no difference in experience between the various bricks-and-mortar locations, mobile and desktop efforts. Mobile technology allows the brand to implement this strategy.

The department store is already using various mobile features that can make the customer journey easier. For instance, the department store was one of the first to introduce in-store pickup, and is now offering curbside pickup, where associates deliver merchandise to your vehicle.

For in-car deliveries, employees can track your location and know exactly when you have arrived to minimize wait time and maximize positive images.

It is not that Sears wants to draw customers away from its stores, it want to give customers the options to have the experience that they want to have. That is what mobile can do for brands and for consumers.




It is easing the relationships between retailers and the customer, and forging more positive brand images.

"If you are using our experiences today and you are interacting or chatting with our call center or a brand expert those people know what product you are looking at and it is very seamless," Ms. McClearn said. "If you go into our stores that is not always the case. 

"In the future those lines will be blurred and we will be able to translate what you are doing on the phone to an associate who can pick up where you have left off," she said. "So you do not necessarily have to restart your engagement across different channels." 

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer