Importance of multichannel presence highlighted in study

Monday, October 15, 2018 - 10:42 by Simon Crisp

A new survey from Avionos has found that it makes sense for retailers to offer customers the opportunity to carry out safe shopping online while also having a bricks and mortar presence.

This is especially important for specific product types, with 63 per cent of respondents stating that they preferred to visit real world outlets when investing in high value items. This applies to electronics, as well as home furnishings.

The study examined consumer habits and expectations more broadly to get an overview of the current state of play, with the impact of social media being highlighted.

Fifty five per cent of those questioned said that they have taken advantage of integrated e-commerce functions that certain social networks currently offer, showing that there is real power in this area.

Influencer marketing is big business, with brands and retailers paying high profile social media users significant sums to promote their products. However, the study found that this is not necessarily a particularly impactful tactic, since almost two thirds of consumers have not invested in an item after seeing it hawked by a celebrity online.

Another revelation made in the report is that 66 per cent of people who want to buy something via safe shopping online tend to start their journey by either searching on Google, or by heading directly to Amazon to find what they are seeking.

This suggests that there is less casual browsing of e-commerce sites occurring today than in the past; consumers prefer to hone in on specific items as quickly as possible, rather than navigating a site and hoping to stumble upon something of interest.

Shopping habits and trends are changing all the time and this study shows just how important it is for retailers to stay on top of things.