Synergy between stores and online is key says new BookingBug survey

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 1, 2018

Experts have talked a lot about the death of traditional bricks-and-mortar retail, but a new survey has shown that physical stores are still relevant in today's digitally-driven environment.

Omnichannel solutions company BookingBug looked at the shopping habits of 2,000 consumers across the US and the UK and found that retailers have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to their in-store experience.

The research confirmed that shopping across multiple channels is now the norm with 73% of shoppers researching online before hitting the stores and 54% researching in-store before buying online.

While online remains the fastest growing way to shop with 37% of shoppers reporting they do more online shopping than last year, stores are still the main channel for 52% of consumers in the US and 41% in the UK.

INTERACTIVE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Hosting interactive events in-store can be a good way for retailers to bridge the gap between the online and offline experience, as consumers feel more valued in face-to-face interactions. In fact, 68% of those surveyed said they would attend events hosted by retailers, but just 23.5% have ever been invited to one.

Retailers are struggling to integrate the online experience in-store, and failing to give their staff appropriate training, said BookingBug. But consumers will appreciate a more multichannel approach, and this is likely to result in a sales boost for the brand.

"The biggest retailers in the world have already discovered the formula to make consumer offline engagement a crucial and valuable asset. You do not need to discount prices and compromise margins to get consumers into a store but provide them with a clear reason to spend time visiting,” says BookingBug CEO Glenn Shoosmith.

“If retailers know that customers do research in-store before buying online, then it makes sense to create services that will make that insight easy to consume."