-
Omnichannel strategy in order to maximize customer satisfaction.
-
Building a customer experience integrating the book offer with a quality experience enhanced with digital tools.
-
Digital tools allow to personalise the customer journey according to their needs.
One of the sessions of Readmagine 21 was devoted to the bookshops under the title of «The hybrid bookshop», focused on presenting the challenges of the book outlets within the pandemic crisis and the new models to compete with the big platforms. Enrique Pascual, Director of Marcial Pons booksellers and President of the Madrid Bookseller Association, moderated the session with the participation of Fabian Paagman, Director-owner of Paagman Bookshops and co-president of the European and International Booksellers Federation and Alberto Rivolta, Chief Executive Officer retail and COO Feltrinelli Group.
The presentation by Rivolta referred to the idea of «hybrid bookshop» by using the example of the new big store in Piazza Piamonte in Milano, a milestone in this new concept of brick and mortar shop with digital tools, something that Feltrinelli defines as their «retail innovation».
After his brief explanation about the structure of the Feltrinelli group (born as a publishing house), Alberto Rivolta defined this idea of hybridity as the result of «Omnichannel strategy in order to maximize customer satisfaction» which links brick and mortar (almost1.500 sqm for books) with e-commerce. The retail strategy implies widespread presence all over the national territory with a strong connection with the local community, enhanced by the ecommerce «entertainment» portal.
The hybrid model is developed in Piazza di Piamonte store by blending tradition and innovation and building a customer experience with the integration of the book offer (50.000 different titles) with a quality experience enhanced with digital tools: video reviews the customers can access to the expertise of 1.200 booksellers all over Italy at customers’ service wherever they are through screens. Different new digital tools allow to personalise the customer journey according to their needs; as Rivolta said “digital humanised” would be the key to understand how Feltrinelli is dealing with this technological means.
Digital tools also could make the buying experience frictionless. Feltrinelli retail now has a 30% of sales through their app that allows customers to scan the QR of books and pay with application without passing through the cashiers.
This strategy is boosted by cool spaces which promote social interaction and a platform that provides online and live training courses, to support the customer in a path of lifelong learning.
Alberto Rivolta is Chief Executive Officer retail and COO Feltrinelli Group. Graduated in Management Engineering at Polytechnic of Milan, he began his career as a strategic management consultant, achieving top positions within the board and management team. He has led complex projects for important companies in the publishing, media, insurance and asset management industries, as an expert in strategy, start-ups and change management. In January 2015 he joined Feltrinelli Group, with the aim to develop and manage all business activities of the Group, above all in the the Retail Business Unit, where he starts and leads a digital transformation and omnichannel strategy path with LaFeltrinelli, Ibs.it and Libraccio.it brands.
