Seamless: Crafting a cohesive shopper experience

As the number of online shoppers continues to climb, more consumers have grown to expect a seamless shopping experience that allows them to move easily between physical stores and online platforms. Customers might start their shopping journey with an online product search but prefer to visit the store to make the final purchase. Or they might see a product in-store and turn to a digital platform to learn more about it before buying.    

To engage these shoppers wherever they are, it’s crucial for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers to integrate these two worlds and provide a cohesive experience with consistent offerings. By ensuring the shopper’s path to purchase is a smooth one – whether they’re in the aisles, online, or both – brands can enhance customer satisfaction and build loyalty that drives growth. 

What is a seamless shopper experience?  

Research from 84.51° reveals that omnichannel shoppers – those who purchase both online and in brick-and-mortar stores – seek experiences that are consistent across locations and platforms. From online discovery to in-store purchasing, they want an easy experience that allows them to transition seamlessly between modalities.  

A key element of creating that seamless experience is making sure the same offerings are available in-store and online. Hybrid shoppers expect to have access to the same prices, available coupons, quality of products, and brands – no matter how they shop. 

Hybrid shoppers also value accuracy and availability – so much so that they may switch retailers to find the item they want. 77% of shoppers will purchase the item immediately in-store or during their next online or in-store purchase. A smaller number of shoppers will buy the out-of-stock item online elsewhere, and 4% of customers will even switch their entire cart to a different online retailer that has the item in-stock.  

Knowing a hybrid shopper’s substitution preferences can help brands foster a cohesive shopper journey and increase satisfaction with their online experience. 84.51° research about acceptable substitutions by category found that shoppers are most willing to accept substitutions in Shelf Stable and Paper Products, while they are least willing to accept substitutions in Health (OTC/Products) and Beauty Care.  

And more than half (60%) of hybrid shoppers across categories prefer to pick their own substitutions. 

Mastering the unified shopper experience 

While online shopping was once a trend, it’s now a normal part of the routine for many shoppers. As a result, brands must adapt their understanding of and investment in digital touchpoints, as well as enhance their understanding of consumer preferences and purchasing behaviors. To thrive in this new “omni-normal” era, brands should offer streamlined digital-to-physical shopping experiences across all channels. Some key points to consider when developing strategy to improve the shopper experience include: 

• Encourage exploration. Inspire omnichannel shoppers with new ideas across multiple platforms. This might include sharing new items or recipes on retailer websites, apps, and social media.

• Convert search to sales. Understand the true digital path. Remove as many steps as possible between searching and buying to improve shopper experience, even as they refine, rescope and revert their search terms.

• Make it a seamless experience. A seamless experience for omnichannel shoppers means the same coupons, prices and products offered in-store and online.

• Ensure accuracy. Analyze fill-rate to make sure the shopper gets the right item every time. Research confirms that some consumers will walk away if their order is not accurate.

Learn more about what customers expect from the shopper experience  

In today’s new omni-normal, a seamless integration of digital and physical shopping experiences is a necessity. Brands must develop a customer experience that includes the same offerings across all touchpoints, no matter how or where shoppers choose to make purchases. For more insights on how to provide a seamless shopping experience that builds brand loyalty, read our report, Bricks to clicks: Engage, convert, and thrive in Omnichannel Land.