Shoppers Not Keen On Post-COVID Service

While 63 per cent of consumers are doing most of their shopping at physical retail outlets again, many (41 per cent) say their experiences are less enjoyable than they were prior to COVID, says a survey from Theatro, a mobile communications platform. Holiday shoppers say they had a variety of poor experiences with retail employees, such as unwilling to assist, rude or unprofessional behaviour, and lack of product knowledge. “Consumers prefer physical retail for lots of reasons, such as the ability to see and feel products before buying them, and the immediate gratification of taking a product home,” says Chris Todd, chief executive officer, Theatro. “But they’ve also become even more accustomed to the benefits of eCommerce, such as convenience and the ability to research products and get questions answered quickly. Retailers must respond to these heightened expectations or suffer the consequences of decreased shopper satisfaction and, ultimately, sales.”