The way in which consumers buy from retailers is constantly changing and recently, it’s rapidly evolved with an increase in the adoption of omnichannel retail strategies. The customer journey has become less predictable. It’s become more difficult for merchants to offer the consistent and excellent customer experience that consumers expect.
There’s tonnes of evidence to support why an omnichannel retail offering is so incredibly important in today’s retail landscape. We wanted to share a few of our favorite statistics to emphasize how a consistent omnichannel customer experience could increase your sales and profit:
- Omnichannel shoppers spend an average of 10% more when shopping online
- 75% of shoppers rate shipping costs as being the most important buying factor
- Shoppers rarely buy on their first-touch, with 92% of online consumers having no intention to buy during a first visit
- 5 in 6 Americans admit to impulse buying
- 45% of digital buyers worldwide said that reading reviews, comments and feedback on social media influences their shopping behaviour.
We created this infographic to show you how every customer journey is now different and how important it is to embrace an omnichannel retail strategy. These 5 examples show various customer journeys, all different and all unique. From the omnichannel savvy customer to the last-minute buyer, and the researcher to the impulse shopper, this infographic features them all.
This infographic is taken from our recent guide, ‘An Introduction to Omnichannel Retail’, written by independent retail expert Nicole Leinbach Reyhle from Retail Minded, which explores everything omnichannel including:
- Understanding omnichannel retail
- What omnichannel means for independent retailers
- Finding the right omnichannel blend for your store
- The reality of why omnichannel matters
- Action steps to help merchants become more omnichannel focused
Download the guide today to find out how an omnichannel retail strategy can help you take your business to the next level.
5 omnichannel retail customer journeys
Customer journey 1: The omnichannel savvy customer
- Visits traditional brick and mortar store
- Leaves store empty handed
- Recalls an item they wanted but did not buy
- Uses Smartphone to visit this said retailer’s Facebook page
- Clicks to the retailer’s website directly from Facebook
- Purchases this item via their website
- Picks it up in store the following day
Channels: Store, Facebook and online via mobile
Customer journey 2: The last-minute buyer
- Realizes they urgently need an item for just a few days time
- Customer has no time to shop at a traditional brick and mortar store
- Uses their iPad to shop among a few local merchants
- Looks at shipping options to ensure the product will arrive in time
- Orders the item from the merchant with the best shipping options
Channels: Online via iPad
Customer journey 3: The researcher
- Researches products online extensively over the course of a few months
- Visits three local retailers to compare products
- Continues to research brands, prices and other deciding factors
- Looks at store return policies
- Returns to one of the three merchants he originally visited
- Makes a purchase, confident in his decision based on his extensive research
Channels: Online and store
Customer journey 4: The impulse shopper
- Customer enjoys a leisurely shopping trip with friends
- Discovers a necklace that is merchandised on a nearby mannequin she walks by
- Customer picks up the necklace, tries it on and looks in the mirror
- Her friends tell her how great it looks and encourage her to buy the necklace
- Purchases the necklace on the spot while in the store
Channels: Store
Customer journey 5: The feel-good buyer
- After feeling a little down, this customer turns to retail therapy to cheer herself up
- Browses through various social media channels to escape her thoughts and daydreams about what she could buy
- Plans to go shopping the next day to lift her mood
- Tries on jeans at three different boutiques, placing a pair on hold at each store
- Returns to the first store she visited to purchase the jeans
Channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and store
There’s so many paths shoppers can take before finally converting. Have we missed any customer journeys that you typically see your customers taking before purchasing? Let us know in the comments section below.
