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Digital branding important to retail consumers, claims report

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November 12, 2019

Consumers are all about a brand's digital media presence and expect product inventory to be real-time. User-generated ratings and reviews are also gaining importance for shoppers, according to Synup's The State of Retail 2019 report that surveyed 837 consumers on how they find, trust and choose retail brand.

A good majority, 77%, of consumers put significant weight on a retailer's visibility when it comes to digital platforms and rely on business content, such as product inventory, according to a press release. An even bigger number — 82% — will not choose a business with a rating of less than three stars on a media channel.

"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 or traditional media. 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."

Some additional insights include:

• 81% of people rate their smartphone as their top device for choosing a retailer.
• 35% trust the business content presented on a retail website.
• 35% think voice search is critical to selecting a retail brand.
• 37% consider a connected car as highly important for choosing a retailer.
• 56% of consumers frequently shop at local retailers.