The omnichannel experience is failing to deliver with 70% of consumers saying that retailers are not providing a consistent level of service across their online and bricks and mortar operations according to a new report.
The study, from PCMS, titled ‘In Full Flight Embrace The Pace: Are You Running With Customers Or Letting Them Race Away From You’, polled 2,000 UK consumers, looked at 13 key business areas – and bricks and mortar fared better for customer experience provided by staff, while online retailing topped the poll for product information and pricing.
65% of respondents said they received a more personal service when shopping in-store compared to just 10% when shopping online, with a further 45% saying that store staff were better able to solve problems and answer queries (47%) than online retail operations. Returning unwanted items was another area where 56% of shoppers said bricks and mortar outperformed ecommerce.
However, shoppers felt they were offered a wider range of products online (68%), as well as better prices (56%) and more in-depth product information (60%), but, they felt they were better able to view and see product demonstrations in store (46%). Respondents also felt that they were more likely to be offered a complimentary product to go with the one they were purchasing online (47%) than in physical shops (16%).
40% perceived the checkout experience to be better online, with a further 38% saying the online payment experience was superior to that in store. Interestingly, 37% said that they received more deals online, while 27% said that they were better rewarded for loyalty in-store.
Steve Powell, Director of Sales at PCMS, commented: “There are clear strengths and weaknesses across the omnichannel journey and the challenge for retailers is to look for ways to replicate their strengths in other areas to create a seamless service whatever a customer’s touchpoint.”
“Engaged commerce is all about real-time relevance and enables retailers the opportunity to offer consumers physical and digital information available at the point of purchase.”
For further information on enhancing your agile retail capabilities to personalise in-store experiences and better address the demands of connected consumers, download the full report.