What Retail Really Needs by Digital Business Manager Matt Rowse

There’s more to retail than meets the eye, and we’ve uncovered hard truths and fascinating insights from our interview with Matthew Rowse, Digital Business Manager of Supercheap Auto. Matt is one of the speakers for the upcoming New Retail ’19 event that will give a no-holds-barred, full-packaged retail learning experience to attendees. He shares with us what truly works in retail, and how retailers can move forward to a more favourable future.

RLC: What are some of the most innovative or intriguing things you’re seeing in retail at the moment? 

Matt: There’s no doubt an Omni approach is gaining widespread favour as the way forwards for retail. However, when scratching the surface sometimes I think there is some confusion as to what this means. For me, Omni means presenting a unified, consistent experience across all channels and touchpoints, plus removing friction for the customer where it’s possible to do so, at the right price.

RLC: What do you see for the retail industry moving forward over the next 2-5 years? 

Matt: I think due to the evolving retail landscape and reducing cost of entry to digital/technology experiences, we’ll see more companies investing in this space to personalise a convenient experience and set them apart from competitors. Retailers will need to invest in areas that are meaningful to their customer, i.e. if your customers want three-hour metro delivery, free returns or widespread collection points, the journey to deliver these outcomes needs to start early as there may be obstacles to overcome. Selecting the right partners in this space will also be key.

RLC:  What do you hope to see more in the retail industry and how do you want the industry to move forward? 

Matt: Again technology is not only going to drive improvements in experience, but also efficiencies in operations, with the ‘bots’ taking care of some low-level tasks. What I hope to see is this efficiency gain invested back into more strategic and customer-facing roles, keeping the industry as a whole strong. Given the number of people employed in Retail overall, we have an important part to play in the economy.

RLC: What do you think retailers could do to improve their business to continue to stay ahead of the market? 

Matt: Be obsessed about your customer. What is their journey? (understand) What’s wrong with it? (listen) How can I make it better? (improve) Rinse and repeat.

RLC: What kind of knowledge and inspiration can attendees at the upcoming New Retail ’19 event expect from you? 

Matt: I’ve been fortunate to learn from some very experienced leaders in my roles, in a business that has been operating with a store network since the 1970’s and transacting online for over a decade. I’ll be sharing some simple insights which I hope will be of value to attendees, that can be taken back to their business.

Learn more insider secrets and industry insights from Matt Rowse and other industry thought leaders at New Retail ’19 this coming February 25 – 27, 2019 at MCEC Melbourne. Tickets for this exclusive event are selling fast, so book your seats now!

About the Speaker

Matt has over 25 years of experience in Retail & Merchandise. His role as Digital Business Manager at Supercheap Auto has revolutionised the customer experience in terms of making a seamless purchase & fulfilment operations through websites in Australia & New Zealand, plus marketplaces including eBay & Trademe. Matt also manages a large digital selection guide program, allowing customers to engage with Digital at the shelf edge.