The "Age of Experience" in Retail Has Arrived

KIRKLAND, WA--(Marketwired - Apr 25, 2013) - Revel Consulting (www.revelconsulting.com) today declared the arrival of the "Age of Experience" in retail. Based on internal research, direct client experience in the retail sector and trends in related market research, Revel released an "Age of Experience" infographic exhibiting a significant shift in how retailers must differentiate from competitors in order to earn and keep loyal customers. The infographic is part of the Kirkland, Wash. consulting firm's expanded focus and expertise in the strategy, operations and technology necessary to support and succeed at omni-channel retail.

"Today's Age of Experience has revolutionized the way retailers must think about engaging with their customers," said Tim Bowman, Product Manager of Revel's Customer Experience discipline. "Otherwise they'll be left behind."

The data and research Revel curated for the infographic demonstrates that an engaging, intuitive customer experience drives increased loyalty and a rise in perceived value.

"A good customer experience not only motivates consumers to recommend products or services to their friends and family across both traditional and social networks, but surveys also show that they are willing to pay a premium for a product because of the experience itself," said Bowman.

This isn't the first paradigm shift retail has gone through. The modern retail industry began with the Industrial Revolution, creating the early Age of Manufacturing (1900s). It then moved into the Age of Distribution (1960s) with the introduction of globalization and free trade. The Age of Information (1990s) emerged as the Internet made gathering, mining, and sharing customer data easy, inexpensive and ubiquitous.

The Age of Experience now trumps previous paradigms in retail with the sudden rise of social media, online personalization, location-based services and connected devices. These new consumer trends push companies to provide unique, tailored experiences for every customer regardless of where, when and how they prefer to shop.

"The result we've seen first-hand with our clients is they must differentiate based on experience in order to appeal to consumers who are completely untethered from historic buying patterns," said Bowman. "In the past, retailers could compete on distribution and information, factors that are commoditized in today's market."

Revel approaches Experience Management by proactively segmenting and addressing customers as individuals in a unique, intuitive way. Revel's Customer Experience (CX) discipline helps clients manage each customer's interactions and transactions with a client's company, products and services across the entire customer journey; from inspiration, to support, to sharing experiences with friends and family. Revel helps clients audit, organize, integrate, track and manage ways to provide value in an orchestrated manner at each and every touch-point with the customer as the orienting principle for decision-making.

To see the infographic, read related case studies and learn more about Revel's Customer Experience service offering, visit: revelconsulting.com/cx.

About Revel Consulting
Revel Consulting is a leading business management consulting firm founded on the belief that client success is achieved through PURE Consulting -- reduced barriers between great minds and great opportunities. Revel's associates are given the tools, authority, responsibility, and ownership to solve complex challenges with smart, efficient and proven processes. Based in Kirkland, Washington, Revel was founded in response to the market opportunity created by the fracturing of the large consulting firms and the need for nimble, mid-sized firms able to meet the needs of clients. Revel provides business solutions across industries such as high tech, mobile, retail, healthcare, and nonprofit. In 2011, Revel was named the University of Washington Minority Owned Business of the Year for King County. In 2010, Revel was named one of "Seven Small Jewels" in the industry by Consulting Magazine and has been named one of the nation's fastest growing companies four consecutive years by Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 500/5000" list. More information on PURE Consulting can be found at www.revelconsulting.com or by following Revel on LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/company/revel-consulting.