A study released today by Mindtree provides critical insights into the evolution of the “phy-gital” shopper and the kinds of shopping experiences and features that would encourage them to shop more. These phy-gital shoppers have a world of information at their fingertips and they’re just as comfortable shopping online as they are in a retail store.
The independent study, “Discover the Phy-gital Shopper: A Survey by Mindtree” found that these high-expectation shoppers are more phy-gital than shoppers in the U.S., Benelux or Germany. U.K. shoppers prefer to combine online and in-store experiences in whatever way is most convenient or efficient for them. Their behavior has flipped the traditional supply and demand model. With today’s connected shopper, demand now discovers supply. At the hint of a need, this new breed of shopper interacts with various media and devices to find what they want. The paradigm shift is fueled by new technologies such as cloud apps, machine intelligence and connected smart devices.
The study surveyed 630 consumers across the U.K., asking them to rate different online and in-store features across apparel, grocery, and home and garden segments. Although details of shoppers’ top preferences and desires differed somewhat by market segment, five broad themes emerged that retailers will find useful:
- Shoppers expect a seamless experience across channels – 70% say they combine online and in store purchases
- Shoppers want to take advantage of in-store technology – 20% want to use technology for locating products and self-checkout at kiosks for a faster shopping experience
- Shoppers will share personal information, but not on social media – 90% are willing to share personal information for a better experience but only 5% want social networking with retailers
- Shoppers want more information, whether online or in-store – 21% of apparel shoppers want a 360-degree view of online products
- Shoppers will spend more if they have a remarkable experience – 17% of apparel and grocery shoppers want to redeem loyalty points across channels
Doug Stephens, Retail and Consumer Futurist; Founder of Retail Prophet said, “Until recently we have tended to view the dynamic between the web and physical stores as binary, with one format winning out over the other. This clearly isn’t true. We will see ecommerce become increasingly physical, tactile and immersive, and the in-store experience significantly more web like, connected and data-rich. In fact, technology is rapidly driving the evolution of both formats. In time, the lines between the two formats will become so blurred it will be difficult to know if the retail experience we’ve just had was digital or physical.”
Radha R., Mindtree’s Executive Vice President of Retail, CPG and Manufacturing said, “With the most phy-gital shoppers we have seen so far, the U.K. is at the forefront of the changing global retail landscape. It has become crucial for retailers to meet these shoppers at the critical moments across all media, devices and channels-and to offer a remarkable experience that makes them stand out in a crowded marketplace. Obviously there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but the smart retailers will conduct a comprehensive assessment of their omnichannel readiness.”
For complete details of the U.K shopper survey:
Understand how the expectations of the new age shopper vary for other regions:
