The Relevance of Retail Stores in an Omni-Channel World

Since the early days of e-commerce in the late 90s analysts have predicted the demise of retail stores. The doomsday prophecies reappeared in 2012 when a third of US consumers engaged in showrooming. But brick-& mortar store refuse to die.

In 2014, 53% of US consumers said that their preferred mode of purchase was to visit a store and leave with the product. Stores provide an emotional assurance that online cannot. 58% of consumers prefer shopping in a store so they can ‘see and feel’ the product before buying.

This report will give you:

• The 3 reasons why people still prefer brick-&-mortar stores
  
• The dynamics of how consumers use stores at different stages in their path to purchase
  
• The 3 things retailers & brands can do to improve the consumer’s store experience
  

Key Questions Answered in the Report

• Do omni-channel shoppers prefer to visit and buy from retail stores?
  
• Why do store goers prefer brick-&-mortar to the online experience?
  
• What is the role of retail stores to the omni-channel shopper?
  
• How can retailers better serve shoppers to increase loyalty and word of mouth?
  

Report Table of Contents

I. Top stats from the report
II. Introduction
i. US omni-channel shopping hits tipping point in 2014
ii. Omni-channel gives consumers options when it comes to how they buy
iii. Consumers prefer buying in-store to all other omni-channel options
III. 3 reasons omni-channel consumers prefer physical stores
i. Stores provide emotional benefits that improve shopping experience
ii. Brand driven purchase decision
iii. Rise of webrooming - search online, buy offline
IV. Retail as an information hub on the path to purchase
i. Evaluating retail stores in a tech driven information age
ii. Retail stores act as information hubs across the consumer journey
iii. Using technology to fulfill the need for information
V. 3 ways stores can better serve omni-channel shoppers
i. Awareness Stage: Provide info to facilitate & improve store visits
ii. Influence Stage: Empower staff to educate shoppers & exceed expectations
iii. Conversion Stage: Prevent out-of-stock instances that disappoint consumers
VI. References

List of Charts

• US omni-channel shopper growth by category, 2013 vs 2014
  
• Global consumer shopping behavior by mode of purchase
  
• Global consumer shopping preference by mode of purchase
  
• US shopper preference for brick-&-mortar vs online by drivers
  
• The growing influence of brand on purchase decisions
  
• Trends in showrooming vs webrooming among US shoppers
  
• Impact of online research on loyalty to brands & retailers
  
• US shoppers looking for information by store visit state
  
• US shoppers visiting stores for info by consumer journey stage
  
• US shoppers reaction to lack of information during store visit
  
• US shopper demands from retailer mobile apps
  
• Online sources used to conduct pre-purchase research
  
• Top info sought by US shoppers during pre-purchase research
  
• Shopper expectation from retail staff during store visits
  
• Customer expectations on mobile use among retail staff
  
• Impact of inventory information on shopper store visits
  
• Impact of out-of-stock inventory on shopper conversion