Consumers claim UK retailers lack cohesive experiences

Thursday, May 18, 2017 - 09:20 by Graham Miller

Fifty three per cent of customers questioned in a new study by Opinium Research said that outlets across Britain were not doing enough to join the dots between the experience offered in-store and that available via safe shopping online, according to Internet Retailing.

This so-called ‘disconnected’ state of affairs is having a negative impact on consumer loyalty, with 61 per cent admitting that they could be tempted to start shopping with another brand if there was a lack of cohesion across real world and digital channels.

Report spokesperson, Guy Murphy, said that the relationship between retailers and consumers had evolved in recent years, with shoppers seeking out bespoke, personalised experiences both online and on the high street. So for those firms that are unable to offer such a setup, the consequences can be dire.

Sixty three per cent of respondents argued that when it comes to safe shopping online, retailers simply have to be able to provide up to the minute, accurate information about stock levels. This applies not only to items available for home delivery, but also the proportion that can be collected in-store the same day.

The majority said that the retail experiences offered to them by their favourite stores were not generally as flexible and customisable as they would like, showing how the web has influenced expectations and made people pickier about where they shop.

It was discovered that consumers want retailers to be easier to engage with, especially when it comes to providing information which is relevant to their tastes and needs. Other hang-ups include poorly designed online interfaces which require multiple instances of having to enter private data following the initial sign-up process.

As e-commerce matures and the UK leads the way globally, retailers still have a lot to learn and much to prove to shoppers.