PSFK wrote an article titled How to Make the World More Shoppable, that explored Omni-Channel Point-of-Purchase technologies that are creating more opportunities to buy.
“The questions don’t change as much as the answers do”
… is my immediate thought here. Perhaps more specifically this article speaks to the need for strategy first and the problems faced when leading with a tactic instead.
Certainly one could be lead to believe that “buying now” is a easy tactic to implement, after all there are many templates and quick solutions that can be found – that however doesn’t mean they are viable solutions for you or your customer. Shopping, even impulse shopping, is still a deeply personal experience – and delivering a consistent, positive experience across all channels and devices is the real mountain that needs to be climbed. Similarly if you haven’t yet defined or delivered a great experience in one channel, it hardly makes sense to invest in a second channel…
Creating more access, or making it more convenient to buy is not a road to loyalty and repeat purchase – delivery of a good experience is.
Link to the article on PSFK: http://www.psfk.com/2013/11/omni-point-purchase-future-retail.html