Shoppers expect a seamless multichannel response by 2014

New research has revealed 60% of shoppers expect a seamless integration across online, social media, mobile and physical stores to become the norm by 2014.  

Capgemini’s survey of 16,000 digital shoppers across 16 countries, which examined the changing nature of shoppers’ retail preferences, found websites are the most important tool for shopping, followed by email.

However, social media, mobile apps and in-store kiosks are growing in popularity as alternative retail channels, said the report.

Meanwhile, more than half of respondents said they expect physical stores will become showrooms to select and order products by 2020.

Over half of those surveyed claimed they are more likely to spend more money at a physical store if they had used digital channels to research the product prior to purchase. However 73% of respondents also expect online prices to be lower than those in physical stores, the figures showed.

Bernard Helders from Capgemini said: “In today’s complex marketplace shoppers are in control and retailers need to remain relevant to the digital consumer across the all-channel journey. The industry should not only seek to understand the technology, they must separate hype from reality and, crucially, commit to cross-channel collaboration to stay profitable in today’s tough economic climate.

“This is critical for retailers to identify who is really using these channels and essential in determining where to make digital investments and how to monetise them. The findings of the report are a call to action for retailers and consumer goods companies to adopt a new approach and harness the technology that’s now available.”