Can you think of a time when you were so engaged in a game that you lost all sense of time? Hours flew by, and before you knew it, the sun had set, and it was time for dinner. Well, that's the power of gamification.

Believe it or not, retailers are starting to use it more and more to engage customers and drive sales. So if you're on the fence about whether or not to use gamification in your retail brand, read on to find out why you should consider it!

Gamification, or game mechanics in non-gaming contexts, is a popular trend because it can be an effective way to engage people. Even if you don't think of your brand as a "game," there are ways you can use gamification to engage customers and drive results.

Here's how...

What Exactly is Gamification!

The application of game elements to non-games is known as gamification. Gamification draws inspiration from the natural desires for socializing and competition.

In retail business, it can also take the form of rewards such as points or discounts along with progress bars that update automatically based on how well you're doing in regards to achieving goals given.

Gamification in retail

Some common examples of gamification are turning exercise into a game by using a FitBit or calorie counting app, making school work into a quiz show with points and rewards, or turning household chores into a race against the clock.

The basic idea is to add an element of competition or excitement to something that would otherwise be mundane or boring.

And while there's no magic bullet for making everything more fun, gamification has been shown to be an effective way to increase engagement and motivation in a wide variety of settings.

Also Read: Personalized Advertising: Deliver Relevant Ads to Your Customers

Why Implement Gamification in Retail Industry?

The gamification in retail is an emerging trend that has been noticed by many adults as well. A good example of how adults enjoy gamification is adults enjoying games like Candy Crush or Pokémon Go while shopping for clothes at a retail brand or shop.

It seems this formative marketing strategy may work!

And why shouldn't people enjoy themselves when it's fun!

Gamification helps retails in:

1. Building Trust

Gamification in retail is an excellent way  to build trust with their customers.

Points or levels can be gained through completing surveys, reviewing products online before purchasing them in-store, and even watching videos on YouTube tutorials about how best to use your favorite brand's latest offering!

2. Building engagement

Retails need a way to keep their customers engaged so that the business will continue funding them.

Customer engagement

Gamification is an innovative idea that helps retailers do just this by incorporating games into retail environments as well as rewards programs and other engaging features to make it worth your while!

For example, customers could be offered a 10% discount for writing a review of their recent purchase.

3. Building brand loyalty

The best way to build customer loyalty for a retail brand is by building loyalty programs through interactive games that can help build customer relationships.

By incorporating fun and games into the shopping experience, retailers can encourage customers to keep coming back.

Gamification can also help customers feel more engaged with the store and its products. Ultimately, this can lead to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business.

4. Improving customer & user experience

Add a progress bar to your customer's shopping cart, and letting them know that they are only a few steps closer to order will encourage more cart values.

Adding scratch cards for coupon codes closer to the cart will also let users experience that fun element in shopping online.

5. Improves brand awareness

Add a game and let customers invite their friends to play along on your mobile app or your web app/website; this will bring more new customers and build brand awareness.

Brand awareness

Create a specific invite code on your customer's name to add a personalization element.

You can also add gamification techniques like creating early access to get higher discounts on new product releases, like early bird offers, by playing a simple game like Mario kart.

A few more ideas include:

  • Introducing game currency.
  • Creating a virtual environment on your e-commerce website or app.
  • Designing your UI/UX to suit your target customers' interests and age.

Also Read: How Personalized Videos are Revolutionizing Social Media

Gamification Ideas to Implement in Your Retail Business

Retail gamification brings the fun and curious element into the picture. In addition, it can increase customer engagement and loyalty when done correctly.

Here are some ideas on implementing the game mechanics in your retail business.

1. Rewarding customers

Reward your customers for spending a certain amount of money, providing bonus points for repeat visits, or giving exclusive discounts to customers who participate in games or challenges.

Add a video game to get discounts. Provide as much discount value as they score by putting an upper limit.

Using gamification as a way to reward your best customers encourages them to keep coming back. Gamification can also attract new customers and encourage them to explore your store.

2. Add interesting contests & challenges

Try implementing different types of games or challenges that will appeal to various customers. Keep the games and challenges interesting and engaging so that customers will want to keep coming back for more.

3. Adding personalization techniques

Use video personalization to help take your game one step further by tailoring the video content to the specific viewer and displaying the video content to your users/customers.

Video personalization can be used in a number of ways, such as providing personalized recommendations, customizing the video experience based on customer preferences, or using customer data to deliver targeted messages.

4. Add Quizzes

Add fun quizzes to your website, like a pop-up window to win a chance to shop for free or get a gift hamper.

You can add quizzes on celebrities, sports, or any current affairs that suit your products/services.

5. Use interactive video emails

Use video emails to interact well with customers. For example, send video messages to give your clients promo codes or festive offers etc.; you can also send digital scratch cards.

Examples of Brands using Gamification in their Retail business

1. Toys" R" Us

Toys' R' Us uses digital QR codes to help drive online sales and convert existing in-store shoppers into virtual consumers. Once you collect enough of these unique barcodes, they can be redeemed for an exclusive voucher that will get discounted prices on your next purchase!

2. Stride Aid

So how do you get kids to try on shoes? Make it fun! Shoe retailer Stride Aid created an in-store game for their shoppers.

They would select a shoe, try it out, and mimic dance moves as accurately as possible while getting scored at the end of each round by submitting photos or videos online with scores determining eligibility for future winners' clubs.

Not only did this increase time spent inside stores but drove sales conversion rates because parents who went shopping felt positive about whatever pair of footwear had been chosen - which is precisely what we want when promoting any product line.

3. Pink Nation

Pink Nation is a subsidiary of Victoria's Secret. Pink Nation has taken gamification one step further by adding an interactive scavenger hunt in their app for mostly college-aged shoppers! In addition, they hosted Pink-O on its app.

In 2014 during spring break season, they had an interactive scavenger hunt which gave out exclusive prizes just for playing their games - it was so popular that this feature has been added annually since then.

What's Next?

Gamification has been shown to be an effective way to increase customer engagement and loyalty.

If you’re looking for a new way to engage with your customers, or want to find ways to keep them coming back, gamification with personalization may be the answer.

Book a demo today and our team can help you get started using personalization in your retail business.