The rise of omni-channel retail has led to greater expectations for the in-store shopping experience amongst UK consumers. According to new research commissioned by Displaydata, 76% of shoppers are now researching online before visiting a store. The report reveals a growing disparity between the physical and online experience perceived by UK shoppers. • 76% of […]
The rise of omni-channel retail has led to greater expectations for the in-store shopping experience amongst UK consumers.
According to new research commissioned by Displaydata, 76% of shoppers are now researching online before visiting a store.
The report reveals a growing disparity between the physical and online experience perceived by UK shoppers.
• 76% of shoppers research online before heading into store when buying products, which is driving increased expectations around pricing synergies across channels
• Yet, almost half of shoppers (46%) think retailers offer different prices on- and off- line
• Shoppers now demand higher levels of product information in-store; 42% consider staff to be poorly informed, while a quarter (28%) want more information around stock availability
Consistent pricing is a key expectation. Despite shoppers demanding consistency, 46% of people think retailers offer different prices online and offline, and almost half (48%) feel that promotions offered online are not available in-store.
Shoppers now also expect higher levels of information and service in-store, with 42% considering store staff to be poorly informed. Over a quarter (28%) say a lack of stock availability is a key issue when shopping in-store compared to online.
To understand the changes in shopper behaviour and provide insights into how retail stores should respond, Displaydata has released a new report, ‘Reinventing the store shelf edge in the age of omni-channel shopping’. The report highlights the need for retailers to bridge the gap between digital and physical shopping experiences to influence shoppers purchase decisions at the shelf edge.
Retailers can embrace new digital display technology to provide better information to shoppers at the point of purchase, whether that be up-to-the-minute stock information, access to better digital content or simply highlighting differences versus the competition.
In doing so, retailers can improve the experience of the shopper in-store, align bricks and mortar with their online channels and help reduce the likelihood of shoppers using their smartphones to ‘showroom’ competitors’ pricing.
Andrew Dark, CEO of Displaydata, said: “The changes in shopper behaviour are blurring the lines between digital and physical experiences, redefining the store’s role within the omni-channel shopping experience.
“In order to secure the store’s new position, our research makes it clear that retailers should embrace the power of new digital display technologies, such as electronic shelf labels, to unite their online and offline channels, improving the shopping experience at the point of purchase.”
www.displaydata.com/rethinkingretail
