Over 57% US consumers prefer online shopping: Report

While consumers are opting for online shopping now (57 per cent) due to COVID-related concerns, a significant share who currently shop in-store intend to continue to do so when conditions are safer (79 per cent), as per Delighted by Qualtrics report The time is now for omnichannel retail: 2021 consumer trends. About 1,200 shoppers across the US were surveyed to learn more about their shopping habits and preferences.

Consumer spending plunged amidst lay-offs and shelter-in-place orders. Over a 100 retail chains pulled down their shutters temporarily in March and April 2020 and unemployment skyrocketed. However, this decrease in spending did not affect all retailers equally. Niche and boutique stores without an online presence suffered the most, as consumers migrated to big box stores and online shopping to satisfy all their shopping needs in fewer trips, according to Delighted, a customer experience measurement and rating company.

Shoppers also prioritised in-store spending, relying on online shopping only for non-essentials such as electronics and clothing or cutting them out entirely. And yet, age-old complaints about online shopping such as poor product quality and having to wait for delivery continue to persist, the report said.

The unprecedented conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic threw the spotlight on a trend that has been around for over a decade: omnichannel. Omnichannel retail not only implies a brand’s presence in multiple channels (e.g., e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores), but the integration of inventory, customer service and sales to offer a seamless transition between channels based on what the consumer finds most convenient. Consumers now expect to hop back and forth across channels.

The year 2020 also saw an explosion in curbside and in-person pick-up as consumers sought new ways to shop.

With Americans spending more time on social media and the rapid rise of fashion and beauty influencers, the boundaries between entertainment and advertising are growing even more blurry. Astonishingly, 92 per cent of Instagram users stated that they clicked on an ad, followed a brand, or made a purchase based on an Instagram, the report stated.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)