Retailers have come a long way to improve the online shopping experience. But our research reveals a more disjointed online customer journey. Though shoppers feel fairly confident in their ability to research and buy products online, many are dissatisfied with the web equivalent of in-store activity – like trying out new items, communicating with customer service or processing returns.

As shopping habits evolve, retailers must have the ability to quickly implement improvements in ways that let them innovate.

In-store interactions will continue to be defined by social distancing as physical storefronts remain subject to government health regulations. For shoppers, contactless technologies, like self-service checkout, digital signage and mobile pay have become more important alternatives to navigate perceived health and safety risks.

Our research shows that 67 percent of shoppers have used some form of contactless payment to pay for a purchase in a physical store, with 39 percent saying they would use contactless payments every time if offered. 

Contactless technologies offer a way for retailers to not only provide safer environments, but to create more immersive in-store experiences in the future.

Curbside pickup, or buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) is another way for retailers to provide safer in-person interaction, while managing uptick in e-commerce demand.

According to our research, shoppers cite BOPIS as their most preferred way of fulfillment across categories.

Retailers must understand how to scale BOPIS services in a way that meets consumer demand while mitigating operational cost.

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At Publicis Sapient, we have worked with retailers to implement a LEAD (light, ethical, accessible, dataful) approach to implementation that enables quick turnaround with customer experience in mind.
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Throughout the pandemic, grocers and retailers were challenged to act quickly in response to shift in demand, as shoppers focused spending on essential goods and services.

Real-time insights can help retailers anticipate demand and optimize offers to deliver competitive prices and promotions when shoppers are ready to purchase. Retailers can make better decisions on how and where to move inventory, reducing propensity of stock-outs across digital and physical channels if they have a better understanding of demand trends. Personalization provided by customer-level data also enables more intelligent recommendations, reducing risk of costly returns due to incorrect orders.

In an increasingly crowded e-commerce landscape, it’s crucial for retailers to build lasting relationships with customers. According to our research, shoppers are more likely to shop with brands that provide fast shipping, loyalty programs, direct-to-consumer delivery options, and a personalized touch.

Creating true one-to-one customer experiences touches every element of the retail organization – from managing demand and discovery, to offering the right recommendations and delivering a package to a customer’s doorstep. With a customer data platform (CDP), retailers can unite customer data to create a singular view of the entire shopping journey – helping retailers make the right decisions on what to promote and where to invest when developing new products and services for their customers.