Most shoppers embracing cross-channel retail, reveals study
Increasing consumer interest in virtual reality and augmented reality, as well as digital pay options, are revitalizing the in-store experience. A majority of consumers, 70 percent, are willing to try cross-channel shopping methods, according to Periscope By McKinsey research.
The study, The Future of Shopping: Connected, Virtual and Augmented, reveals that cross-channel retail is evolving, and that consumers are eager to try digital channels that eliminate friction from in-store shopping journeys.
Sixty percent of consumers (polled in the U.K., the U.S. and Germany) stated they engage equally with online and in-store shopping channels, according to a press release. Yet the physical store still ranks tops with 50 percent of consumers. In the U.S., mobile device shopping is now on par with desktop-based online shopping
While 60 percent of those polled stated they had not yet engaged with VR or AR applications in-store, the majority would utilize a virtual shelf for a number of activities that they say would improve their in-store shopping experience.The research also stated that when it comes to mobile payments, U.S. consumers are at the forefront, with 65 percent definitely or probably likely to opt for a mobile payment at the cashier.
«Consumers are eager to embrace innovations in retail technologies and demanding more from retailers,» said Brian Elliott, partner and head of innovation at Periscope By McKinsey, in the release. «In-store experiences are getting a new lease on life, and for those retailers able to bridge their online and offline channels in a way that consumers can seamlessly interact with will be the winners. The real challenge for retailers is learning how to personalize the experience for individual consumers by powering cross channel analytics using the data available to them, without neglecting customers’ security and privacy.»
