Real-time inventory, retailer digital visibility are big consumer wants
Author: Maria Alejandra Lopez
Source: Retail Customer Experience
A majority of consumers, 77%, put significant weight in a retailer’s presence in the digital media realm and even a bigger number, 94%, view real-time product inventory as critical in shopping with a retailer.
Those are top findings from a Synup study, The State of Retail 2019, which polled 837 consumers on how they find, why they trust and choose retail brands, according to a press release.
«Consumer behavior has changed rapidly in recent years, and the impact on retailers has been transformative,» said Ashwin Ramesh, CEO of Synup, in the release. «People are no longer choosing retailers based on a company website. Instead they’re engaging with third-party digital profiles that are increasingly defining retail brand identity, and they’re doing it from smartphones and a growing range of connected devices and media channels.»
The study revealed 71% of consumers found inaccurate information on platforms like search engines, map apps, social media and review sites when searching for retailers.
«Retailers have known for a long time that they’re being discovered primarily via mobile searches, but this study shows that they haven’t done enough to keep up with this shift in consumer behavior,» said Brett House, SVP of Growth at Synup, in the release. «Increasingly, customers are discovering local businesses across media including traditional search engines, voice search, social media, review sites and map apps. Despite that reality, the data shows that retailers still have a lot to do if they want to manage their presence, reputation, and content on these platforms — otherwise, they’re at risk of losing substantial business.»
Additional findings include:
- 81% list the smartphone as the top device when choosing a retailer.
- 35% trust the business information and content presented on a retail website.
- 56% still shop at local retailers.