Consumer Behavior

Why retailers need to step up digital investments in store

Photo by istock.com

April 29, 2022

Shoppers are increasingly returning to physical retail stores, with 85% predicted to do more in-store shopping this year than last and are eager to buy in person, see new products and tap store expertise.

In response retailers need to boost and reinvent the in-store experience, according to a ChaseDesign survey.

Simultaneously online ordering is slipping from last year's high which means retailers need to make digital investments in stores to attract and retain returning foot traffic, according to a press release on the survey findings.

"Following nearly two years of building e-commerce into their buying patterns, shoppers are demanding a new physical store experience that integrates the digital benefits they've gotten used to. This means creating a more convenient, rewarding and fun customer journey through the store," Joe Lampertius, president of ChaseDesign, said in the release. "For retailers, this means maintaining and even boosting their expertise in e-commerce and omnichannel in the context of their physical stores. It's about having the right information presented to shoppers through the use of apps, QR codes, AR and VR and other digital tech, so the in-store shopping experience can be as dynamic and convenient as online experiences."

Other key findings include:

• Shoppers see 2022 as the tipping point for self-checkout, with shoppers citing it as the most used technology tool at physical retail. This means merchandising practices for retailers must change and adapt in order to sustain lucrative impulse purchases.
• Self-checkout joins QR codes and retailer shopping apps as the technologies that best help improve the shopping experience. More than two-thirds of shoppers use self-checkout at least occasionally, while 44% use the retailer's shopping app and 29% use QR codes — all of which represent increases from previous years.