Empowering the Gen Z workforce to lead social commerce
By Mark Williams, Managing Director EMEA, WorkJam.
Social commerce is booming, and Generation Z (Gen Z) is at the forefront of this trend. Research shows that more than half of Gen Z use social media for shopping inspiration and the social commerce industry in the UK is predicted to more than double in the next four years, rising from £7.4 billion to almost £16 billion by 2028. There is no denying that Gen Z knows what works best when it comes to social media, and with that, they are a secret weapon managers can draw on to boosting sales from social commerce.
However, the power of social media engagement to drive sales on the shop floor – rather than online – is often overlooked. Across the board and in the most surprising cases, social commerce is proving to be a means of driving customer demand for physical stores. These include major brands such as Apple, Nespresso, Specsavers, and Bumble, to name but a few.
As a retail manager, the best thing you could do when it comes to social commerce is to hand the power over and empower your Gen Z workforce to take charge and aid the fluid transition between online platforms and physical stores.
A connected frontline workforce boosts sales
The one crucial factor that many retailers overlook is their business culture and empowerment of their workforce. Frontline workers interact with customers on the shop floor, day in and day out. They see what customers are spending the most time looking at, can overhear in-store conversations about the latest products and promotions, and speak directly to the customers at checkouts. Perhaps without even realising it, frontline workers hold the key insights into what customers want, need and will be looking for next.
A collaborative and creative culture is also the foundation of a workforce that is empowered and incentivised to create engaging social content. If frontline workers enjoy their job and feel valued and engaged with the brand, they will have the drive to get involved in social media content creation. This approach has proven successful for Marks & Spencer, whose Romford store alone has an impressive TikTok following, clocking in 3.9 million likes to date, from employees on the shop floor getting involved in the latest viral trends because they love the brand and are invested in where they work.
Essential to achieving this is investment in a ‘super app’ that allows retailers to build a culture in which employees, managers and the brand are easily connected. By adopting digital tools, retailers can communicate directly with their employees, letting them know the latest business updates, product rollouts and company messaging instantly. With the app on their phones and in their pockets, frontline workers have all the information they need in the palm of their hands, which can be turned into engaging social media content that drives engagement and trust with the customers and job satisfaction for the employee. Another key feature to embrace is recognition and rewards, which can include leaderboards and incentives for employees that drive the most online conversions, peer-to-peer recognition, and gamified rewards systems to motivate frontline employees and boost sales.
Employee experience is everything
However, building a collaborative culture is not just about those features that directly relates to getting the frontline workforce involved in social commerce. It is about the wider experience of the employee too. Digital workplace platforms can provide flexible scheduling options that put employees in control of their shifts, allowing them to swap and adjust their shifts or pick up more hours. This has an empowering and engaging effect on the workforce and makes a big difference to the employee experience. Express pay features – providing early access to wages that frontline workers have earned – also contribute to a positive employee experience. With these measures in place, frontline workers feel motivated and productive and driven to be involved in extra-curricular activities, such as social media creation.
With retailers struggling with rising costs and managers under pressure to drive sales, it is important that they look at the bigger picture and continue to invest in the employee experience. Social commerce is a valuable way to drive sales in the modern day – you only have to look at M&S whose ginger and white chocolate cookies saw a 150% surge in sales overnight, thanks to trending on TikTok – but in order to run a successful social commerce strategy, you need your workforce engaged and on board.
To find out how WorkJam can enhance your retail operation, visit them online here to find out more.
