FINAL - omnichannel-ceros-experience The state of omnichannel retail

Which experience do shoppers prefer?

BAZAARVOICE REPORT

Ainslie Fincham, Marketing Director at Urban Barn

Not having a robust omnichannel strategy is now a key barrier to success. We work to make every avenue available to our shoppers helpful in making a decision to convert, no matter where they end up making a purchase—be it in-store, online, or via social media.

Shopper research behavoir

25%

prefer in-store shopping only

prefer hybrid (online & in-store)

66%

prefer online shopping only

Online

In-Store

Hybrid

Differences between research behaviors

Online research

In-store research

Word of mouth

17%

30%

48%

23%

19%

69%

Introduction

How to influence shoppers both online and in-store

retail

omnichannel

The state of

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Two-thirds of respondents prefer hybrid shopping

(a mix of online and in-store)

96% of retailers

say that customer reviews are important to providing a successful omnichannel retail experience

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Find out more about how omnichannel is now the preferred shopping experience

The omnichannel shopper

How consumers prefer to research and buy products both online and in-store

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Common factors that inﬂuence consumers to shop online vs. in-store

How global brands are thinking about and planning omnichannel retail experiences

How to calculate the impact that shoppers researching online and buying

Read on to learn:

The omnichannel shopping journey is becoming more complex, with new marketplaces and ever-changing consumer behavior and expectations. And despite inflation driving up costs and reducing margins, retailers are still expected to inspire customers and influence conversion at scale.

But how do you identify the best content — and channels — for a winning omnichannel retail strategy?

We surveyed over 6,000 consumers and 400 companies to determine how shopper behavior impacts omnichannel retailing. We also collected and shared data from Bazaarvoice's network of over 12,000 leading brands and retailers to help you build a successful omnichannel retail strategy.

Modern consumers engage with brands and retailers through multiple channels, such as in-store, online, mobile apps, or social media. They may fill up their shopping cart on their phone but complete the checkout process on a desktop computer — or use both channels at the same time.

Omnichannel shoppers also have diverse preferences for researching and buying products, with most favoring a hybrid approach. They may research a product in-store and purchase it online or use a retailer's mobile app to check prices and availability while shopping in-store.

Retailers providing a seamless omnichannel shopping experience across all channels are more likely to retain customers and build brand loyalty.

There are several behavioral differences between online and in-store shoppers.

Online shoppers tend to rely on online research (comparing prices on different retailer websites, reading product reviews and ratings, or checking delivery options) to guide their purchase decisions.

With brick-and-mortars, in-store shoppers are likelier than online shoppers to use in-store research methods, like packaging info or QR codes on product displays.

But overall, most purchases involve a digital touchpoint.

Click to reveal

Online shoppers

In-store shoppers

Shopper research behavior