In a year where “Retail Apocalypse” seems to feature in every headline, there’s some good news: people love to shop. That’s not just true in the US, it’s true just about everywhere in the world, according to a new series of Blis white papers.
The research we performed in EMEA, Singapore and Australia with Sapio Research uncovered significant findings such as this and revealed even deeper insights about shopper behaviours that marketers will find helpful as they navigate the evolving path to purchase.
We learned that shoppers everywhere research products prior to purchase, whether they’re deciding which brand or model to buy or simply looking for a better price. These savvy consumers categorize themselves either as “Researchers” or “Bargain Hunters.” No matter where in the world we look, these two categories top the list of when consumers are asked, “what kind of shopper are you?” In Australia, 36% of shoppers (mostly women) identified as Bargain Hunters, while 31% were “Researchers.” In Singapore, 32% were researchers and 28% were bargain hunters. In EMEA, the numbers varied substantially by region (Italy had an overwhelming number of bargain hunters!) but these two categories still topped the list across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
What this means is that, no matter where you look, shoppers are hunting for the best deal in terms of both product and price. They’re doing their homework before making any purchase and leaving trails of data in their wake. Mobile is part of this journey, with shoppers engaging in both showrooming and webrooming as part of their research process. Shoppers in every country include multiple touchpoints – in the store, online, and out of home – on their path to purchase. The store is always part of the journey, and in every corner of the planet, it’s the preferred spot to actually buy something. That was true in every region we studied, from the US to APAC and everywhere in between.
To paraphrase Blis’ own Insights Manager, Mariana Fletcher, shoppers accustomed to an omnichannel world, view the various channels as complementary, rather than an either/or. Retailers must take a similar view, seeking ways to connect their channels from both an experience and a purchase journey perspective. Real-world intelligence, derived from location data, are a powerful way to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the ways consumers live and shop. In the end, if marketers know what shoppers are looking for as they seek out great deals – and when, how and on which device – they can provide them with the information they need to make the most satisfying purchases.
Interestingly, Mariana also noted that while 90% of shoppers actually expect retailers to offer an omnichannel shopping experience to them, only 55% of retailers have omnichannel retail strategies in place. This set of #RealRetail research papers underscores the need for omnichannel strategies that allow shoppers to engage, shop and buy when, where and how they choose. And, again, according to the research, they’ll enjoy doing it.
Like what you read? Download our white papers below
The Real Retail Story: Australia
The Real Retail Story: Singapore
The Real Retail Story: EMEA
Omnichannel Path to Purchase: US
