Seamless Shopping Experiences Key To Meeting Consumer Expectations

Consumers are now looking for retailers to accommodate their personalized shopping preferences, both online and in-store, says SOTI in its report, ‘The Tech Effect: Strengthening the Omnichannel to Meet Consumer Demands.’ The report says retailers that do not leverage technology to enhance online and in-store shopping experiences risk losing consumers to competitors quicker than in previous years. Canadian consumers expect solutions to increasing prices, lack of product availability, and slow and expensive deliveries. Retailers with solutions and the most seamless shopping experience online and in-store are the ones thriving, says the report. eCommerce continues to grow, but the research confirms a consistent preference for a hybrid shopping model, with 58 per cent of Canadian consumers most likely to continue shopping in-store. In this hybrid shopping model, consumers look for retailers to offer enhanced and more personalized experiences. In fact, 48 per cent of Canadians prefer to shop with retailers who offer an experience based on their individual preferences. The complexity lies in creating the link between channels on the backend, which can only be achieved by using technology that unites every touchpoint.