The speed at which our world is ever-changing is lightning fast. As the modern shopper’s buying behaviors, mindsets and purchase patterns quickly evolve, I feel it’s imperative to not only understand, but also adapt to this fast-paced evolution.

With the busy life I lead, there’s no question that I am the definition of today’s modern shopper. But what exactly does that mean?  It means I shop around the clock. I want to be in control. I shop and share across multiple channels, from e-commerce to brick-and-mortar to social media. And when I want something, I know just how to get it.

My days are often driven by urgency, convenience and technology. This means you can find me shopping online for quick convenience, perusing savings through various apps, following social media, stopping into my local brick-and-mortar store and relying on mobile reminders. Omnichannel shoppers like myself intersect with multiple touchpoints along the path-to-purchase (so understanding the importance of omnichannel helps me be a smarter marketer to boot), so I love brands that meet me in the channels where I am engaging, shopping and buying, and connect the dots between these channels.

A perfect example of this is Neiman Marcus – they know the way into my heart (and my wallet):

• After perusing their website for the highly coveted Jimmy Choo perfect heel, I found myself on the E! News Fashion page where I was served an ad for the shoes I’d been admiring.
• I then received a customized email from Neiman Marcus with a “We Thought You’d like….” message and content recommending a few more pairs of shoes – and it included a purchase incentive (sweet!).
• Embedded into neimanmarcus.com is a “Just for You” section that featured a few pairs of these beautiful heels.
• And a few days later I received a direct mailer notifying me of an event at a store near me where new arrivals of Jimmy Choo’s would be featured (to drive me into the store I guess to try them on and seal the deal).

Brands like Neiman Marcus use geolocation, web analytics data, clicks, page views and dwell time to make inferences about my behaviors and preferences, and they’ve got it down. They connect with me along different touchpoints as I move throughout my busy life – email, online, direct mail, mobile, in store. They are delivering me relevant, action-oriented and customized content to drive purchase and build loyalty. Maybe even one of these days they’ll convince me to buy from the shelf (or perhaps digital shelf) when I’m feeling a “treat-yourself” day come along.

Whatever brand I’m working on, I know that understanding the shopper is a key component and is certainly not a one size fits all.  As the modern shopper journey becomes increasingly complex, I’m fascinated at how we are able to engage and influence their shopping decisions along with every step. I want to understand their unique demands, mind states and behavior, and deploy a strategic, effective and action-oriented plan that injects technology, brand value, shopper marketing best practices and industry/brand standards.

In today’s omnichannel world, I want a brand to deliver me what they know I need, remind me of the things I forgot I should have and delight me with things I didn’t even realize I want.

This is how to win me over – after all, I am today’s modern shopper.