Consumer Behavior

Consumers love for digital, mobile experiences here to stay

Photo by istock.com

October 2, 2020

Shoppers will continue embracing digital and mobile retail experiences even once the coronavirus pandemic is a memory.

That's a prime finding of a study, from cloud communications and mobile engagement provider Sinch, on consumer behavior during COVID-19 and projected post—-activity.

More than half of consumers, 58%, will continue to avoid crowds, 52% will avoid unnecessary travel, 46% will spend less time inside stores and 45% will dine out less often, according to a press release.

Yet retailers aren't completely delivering the most useful digital and mobile experience that consumers want, according to the study, which stated brands are playing catch-up and many don't know which channels customers prefer.

"Global brand leaders have heard the drumbeat of 'mobile transformation' for years, but the COVID-19 crisis, and its impact on individual behavior, brings the need into sharp focus. This research shows that these behaviors aren't going to change, and brands need to adapt accordingly for the long haul," Jonathan Bean, Sinch CMO, said in the release. "Customers are now overwhelmingly mobile-first, and they want utility at the press of a button: the ability to reserve, confirm, purchase, cancel, inform, entertain, and seek connections in an intuitive, personalized way. Customers are ready for these kinds of AI-powered conversations across channels on their mobile devices, and brands are in a high-speed race to provide all of these digital interactions and more."

The online study of 2,890 consumers, across 14 countries, was conducted by Mantis Research between July 24 to August 9, 2020.