Despite the hype around e-commerce and online shopping, consumers still look to shop in the physical store. To help retailers better understand customer preferences, TimeTrade, the leading provider of online appointment scheduling, surveyed more than 1,000 consumers about their perceptions and habits around retail shopping.
“With exponential adoption rates of mobile devices, harnessing the opportunity across the customer journey will be the ultimate game changer”
The survey data suggests that shopping trends are favoring the brick-and-mortar model, despite perceptions that the rise of e-tailers would jeopardize the physical retail store.
“The bottom line is customers value the personal experience of the physical store,” said Gary Ambrosino, CEO of TimeTrade. “We found that shoppers have done their shopping or discovery online, then go into the store to get help with their final purchase decision.”
Given this information, TimeTrade recommends that retailers employ a cross-channel strategy that converts an initial inquiry into a high value, in-store experience. Once in the store, retailers must give customers prompt service with a knowledgeable store associate.
"With exponential adoption rates of mobile devices, harnessing the opportunity across the customer journey will be the ultimate game changer,” says Sheryl Kingstone, Director at 451 Research. "Retailers need to bridge digital interactions with brick and mortar interactions with new innovative technologies along business process changes.”
“We see retail convergence – the coming together of digital and physical retailing – as a game changing trend,” said Ambrosino. “Traditional e-tailers are opening brick-and-mortar locations because they understand very well the highly personal service they can offer in a store and traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are creating more personal, digital-savvy experiences in the store to better serve today’s shopper.”
To read the full TimeTrade report, visit www.timetrade.com/state-of-retail.
Source: TimeTrade Systems, Inc.
