Now shoppers want in-store tech to mimic the online experience

E-commerce used to worry about how it could replicate real-world shopping, but now the roles are reversed; after 20 months of the pandemic, a new study suggests that consumers now want streamlined in-store experiences just like their online ones.

Why it matters

The State of Retail, a global report from Bazaarvoice, a software company offering brands and retailers tech to collect and show user-generated content, highlights how the wheel is turning in retail. It’s clearer than ever that consumers don’t spend a lot of time fretting about purchase journeys and that retailers need to offer the same sort of experience wherever their consumers happen to be. 

Key findings 

The UK part of the survey found the following: 

• When consumers were asked what technologies they would like to see integrated into the in-store experience, virtual displays showing other customers’ reviews, photos, and videos (32%), QR codes that can be scanned to read reviews (35%), and availability of live/up-to-date star ratings in-store based on customer feedback (30%) were three of the most popular answers. 
• Consumers said written reviews (49%) and photo or video content from fellow consumers (29%) are the two types of content they find most influential when used by brands or retailers.
• Brand and retailer decision makers also ranked reviews (53%) and customer photo and video content (37%) as the most influential elements of their sales and advertising efforts. 
• Both consumers (12%) and brands and retailers (19%) ranked celebrity endorsements as the least influential. 

Key quote

“The voices of shoppers come out loud and clear in this research. They value and demand peer-to-peer insights along their shopping experience, online or in-store” – Rahul Welde, EVP digital transformation and digital business at Unilever.