The Store as a Channel: 2018 Path to Purchase Summit

Whether a consumer is visiting a physical store or an online store, it’s a mission-based experience. Retailers need to leverage data to find ways to create richer media experiences in-store like those that consumers experience online. People use cognitive abilities in the physical store and artificial intelligence comes into play with voice-activated messaging and facial recognition at shelf to help consumers find items, present a relevant offer or send an attendant to the consumer location in the aisle for help. Feedback to the retailer is just as important in the physical store as it is online, so closing the loop is critical. Some retailers are beginning to incorporate small terminals after checkout so consumers can punch a button – equivalent to the ‘like’ button on social media. Attendees will:

Learn how advances in technology combined with data analytics can allow retailers to understand the shopping trip taking place, to deliver relevant content at the moment and to make the physical trip easier for the consumer.
Understand how truly endless aisles can be created with technology and how the experience can be customized to individuals, providing relevant inspiration, information, and offers based on consumer data and in-store location.
Learn how retailers can leverage data to create richer media experiences, allowing in-store shoppers to experience the benefits of a digital channel combined with the unique opportunities of physical stores.

View the entire agenda here.

Speaker Bios:

Jay Scherger, VP, Digital & E-Commerce, 84.51

Jay Scherger leads experience design, ecommerce and personalization for the digital team at 84.51°. He helps Kroger create critical insights about the online and offline worlds to drive further customer engagement and loyalty. In addition to insights, Scherger is responsible for creating the next generation of experiences, ecommerce models and personalization sciences that will fuel Kroger’s future customer growth.

Prior to 84.51°, Scherger led clients for both McKinsey’s Periscope, focusing on the intersection of retail science and strategy, and dunnhumby. During his five years at dunnhumby, he was director of customer strategy and activation, focusing on customer experience design and price and promotion strategy and optimization in both grocery-retail and consumer markets. Scherger also led dunnhumby’s expansion into the Russian market as well as other retail verticals.

Scherger holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Dayton and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is also on the leadership board of the University of Dayton’s Cincinnati Alumni chapter and actively engaged with the Big Brothers Big Sisters and Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank organizations.