Strengths and weaknesses of physical stores, according to consumers

The European consumer now expects physical stores with a variety of state-of-the-art technological tools that allow them a greater experience in their purchase act. They don't always find them.

To find out which aspects of the offline shopping experience are the weakest in the eyes of consumers, ShopperTrak has delved into the technologies that consumers are willing to adopt. It has done so in the second part of the report "Redesigning retail". Focused on the future of physical retail, this study has been carried out in five key European markets: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, through personal surveys.

Tablets, virtual changing rooms, tap-and-pay options such as contactless cards and Apple Pay, a “scan-and-buy” mobile app that allows you to add items to the basket as you move through the store. some of the technological solutions that a third of European consumers want to have within their reach in physical stores.

Thus, a quarter of the consumers consulted would like the customer service personnel in stores to carry tablets to see product information, its availability or know the evaluations of other buyers, and 31% of them would prefer to have of “touch and pay” options. 24% would like a “scan and shop” mobile app that allows them to add items to their basket as they move through the store.

.On the other hand, when it comes to waiting in stores, one in three consumers prefers to have an automatic queuing system that assigns customers a virtual place to avoid waiting standing.

It also stands out that 27% of those surveyed would like to use virtual reality fitting rooms that allow them to try on clothes without doing it physically, and that three out of ten consumers would like to receive offers on their smartphone when they are shopping in stores, while one a quarter (26%) would like to receive push notifications when they walk past a store to encourage them to come in. 25% of consumers would visit a store more often if they were offered an exclusive incentive, and 28% would spend more if they were.

SECTOR BY SECTOR. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

How do consumer expectations differ in the different retail sectors? The Shopper Track study also establishes the strengths and weaknesses of five sectors to reveal which of these areas of improvement will be most relevant for a company, from what will depend on your brand identity.

FOOD. Of all the sectors, supermarkets and food stores show a behavior notably different from the rest of the establishments, since they play an intrinsic role in the day-to-day life of consumers. As a whole, the experience is clear and direct; the stores have a logical layout and easy-to-find products that increase the convenience of purchasing food and drink.

Though staff may be too inefficient at checkout, as "too fast" transactions were listed as weaknesses. However, just like in tech shops, there seems to be a problem.

DEPARTMENT STORES. According to the Report, they need to analyze the role that salespeople play in complementing this distribution, since 1 in 10 European consumers complain about excessive interest from sales staff.

Department stores also need to look at their marketing and loyalty propositions, as lack of interest in offers is one of the key complaints about the current customer experience. Of course, having a wide variety of brands and products will help appeal to a broader demographic than many other store types. Therefore, it is important for department store managers to collect and analyze customer behavior data that they can then segment to increase marketing effectiveness and the value they deliver to customers.

@noctivaguz How can someone not know how to prepare frozen spinach?

— | Have | Sun Apr 04 12:52:24 +0000 2021

FASHION. Shopping expectations in a designer clothing store are very different from those of a low-cost fashion shopper, but there are some key guidelines to keep in mind. While shopping is generally a pleasant experience, it is clearly frustrating when stores are very crowded: factors such as the number of changing rooms are a problem for a quarter (23%) of consumers.

BEAUTY AND HEALTH. One of the key strengths in this sector is having staff available in the store. However, as in the case of other businesses, it is important that the assistants do not cross the line between being helpful and "heavy". One of the main weaknesses that we find in the health and beauty sector is the irrelevance of in-store offers, since 1 in 10 consumers consider that the promotions they receive are not relevant at all. Many times it is the brand itself that creates these promotions, so it is important that retailers improve communication with brands.

TECHNOLOGY. The user experience is one of the main factors in the purchase of technological products, and that is transferred to the shopping experience. Being able to access products quickly and conveniently is essential. Having a good distribution of stores and attractive shop windows make it easier for consumers to locate the required products.

However, retailers need to pay attention to what happens if shoppers have a question or problem, especially given the key role technology savvy plays in the sales and post-sales process. Overly aggressive sales staff generate rejection, while 1 in 10 of those studied complained about the length of queues at customer service counters.

For the regional director of ShopperTrak for Spain and Portugal, Ezequiel Durán, with the rise of electronic commerce, shopping centers and retailers are facing a necessary revolution in their business model in order to survive. «The challenge is growing, as online purchases are increasingly relevant. Despite this, we believe that there is no reason to fear that one business model will cannibalize the other," says Durán.

“Not only is there room for both, but they need each other and, more importantly, they complement each other. The coexistence of physical commerce with online is assured, since the shopping experience is increasingly important for consumers, and there, traditional commerce has a lot to offer. The expertise then lies in developing a multi-channel strategy to achieve good integration and promote synergies between physical and electronic commerce”, he adds.

The "Redesigning Retail" report, as well as the first part of it, focusing on the place of physical stores for the modern shopper, can be downloaded from the ShopperTrak website.

.

.