According to a recent survey by eCommerce giant ATG, 78 percent of shoppers claim to use two or more channels to browse, research and make their purchases. 30 percent said they use three channels or more.
The access to information and 24/7 commercial availability provided by the internet has fundamentally changed the way we shop. Take me for example (I consider myself an average shopper). I will regularly research a product online (check reviews, price, etc.) before going and buying it in my local shop at the weekend. If the shop is any further than walking distance from home, I’ll probably ring and check that they have it in stock before I bother traipsing down on my Saturday afternoon off. One simple purchase from one shop exploiting three channels. All of which, as a customer, I expect to be staffed and ready to cater to my every whim. Man is an unforgiving beast…
As a retailer, a more effective solution – both in terms of cost and burden to the business – would be if I were to buy the item directly from their website.
Why don’t I just buy it online?
The answer is that I’m a suspicious, miserly, impatient and lazy consumer like everyone else. I still have doubts about the product (it looks too big and I’m still not sure if the colour is quite right?). I don’t want to shell out additional money for a slow delivery service and still run the risk of missing the delivery. And I really don’t want to have to spend my Saturday morning trekking out to the Royal Mail depot and queuing up…
So what do I want?
I want it all and I want it now! And if not now, then at a time that is convenient and doesn’t involve me having to leave the sofa.
Convenience is a concept that by definition implies “at a time and place that suits me”. It is hard, if not impossible, to offer shoppers a “convenient” retail proposition and only operate a single channel to market. Accessibility should not be confused with convenience.
How many channels do you need?
CAUTION: the answer is not as many as possible! In order to maximise sales and build a platform for sustainable growth you need to operate as many channels as YOUR customers habitually use. Obviously this calls into question the cost and effort required to maintain those channels, hence why an integrated multichannel strategy and underpinning solution should go hand in hand.
Ultimately it boils down to knowing what your customers expect and what they want. Top tier retailers invest huge sums in making this type of research a foundation of their decision making, however understanding your customer needs to be at the heart of every retailer’s business, whether a high street giant or a local boutique. And it doesn’t require millions. Just be sympathetic and spend some time in your shopper’s shoes and live the experience that you offer.
