Omnichannel Shopper: How Do They Engage With Your Brand? [Download]

When you think about omnichannel shopping, you may imagine futuristic shopping experiences fit for a sci-fi movie, but every year yields the launch of new technologies, the rise of new trends, and unforeseen changes in markets and buying behaviors.

The future is already here, and commerce has changed — have you?

The global omnichannel retail commerce market is expected to reach $5.01 billion by the end of 2023, according to analyst predictions from Market Research Future. Brands and retailers that evolve to meet these changes will gain a competitive advantage, but building an omnichannel strategy requires a clear understanding of how shoppers engage with your brand.

Learn more about the importance of seamless shopping experiences (and avoiding sticky shopping touch points), and gain insights into the many places shoppers may engage with your brand or retail organization.

Buying a Blender: The Importance of Seamless Omnichannel Shopping Experiences

Imagine this: You’re standing in the aisle of a brick-and-mortar store, holding a blender. Before getting to this moment (and after the motor died on your old blender mid-blend), you spent some time reading your favorite product review website to see what they recommend within your price range.

You did a few Google searches to compare prices and color options online — browsing a few different product pages to check out customer photos of the chrome model that would best match your other appliances. You also watched a product video highlighting some valuable features the review website didn’t mention.

You checked the smartphone app for your favorite retail store and saw that the model you wanted was in-stock and on sale at a nearby location, so you got directions on your phone and drove to the store.

Getting to this moment required countless touch points — opportunities for a brand or retailer to connect with you as a shopper and provide the information you wanted at the moment you needed it.

Get it right, and the experience drives the shopper to the end of their buying journey.

Getting Stuck on Shopping Touch Points

Get it wrong, and the shopper could instead get stuck on one of those countless touch points.

Consider the scenario above again, but this time imagine Google came back with limited hits for the blender. The product pages you did manage to find had limited product content — or conflicting product content, with differing product descriptions and photos — leaving you with more questions than answers.

Shopping experiences must be seamless. Omnichannel shopping must bring shoppers from touch point to touch point with minimal effort to support the buying journey.

The majority (59%) of global shoppers use Google to do research for both online and in-store purchases, reports Think with Google. Google also reports that 74% of in-store shoppers search online for a variety of information before going inside a store, including product availability, store locations, and more.

The line between online and in-store shopping will only continue to blur. These omnichannel shopping habits are already solidified for the majority of global shoppers, and your brand or retail organization must keep up to remain competitive in the endlessly shifting world of commerce.

Where Shoppers Meet Your Brand or Retail Organization

Omnichannel shopping brings consumers across the digital shelf, connecting them to a wide range of brand, retail, and product touch points. Depending on where a shopper is in their buying journey, each touch point is an opportunity for you to connect with the shopper and provide relevant shopping experiences.

Examples of online shopping touch points include:

• Marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart;
• Social commerce platforms like Instagram Shopping and
• TikTok Shop;
• Retailer websites;
• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites;
• Shopping apps; and
• Online ads and listings.

Meet Shoppers on the Digital Shelf

Salsify’s new guide, “The Complete Guide to Omnichannel Strategy for Commerce,” breaks down the basics of omnichannel commerce and offers step-by-step guidance for building an omnichannel strategy for your brand or retail organization.

Gain global shopper insights, including how shopper demands have changed across the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany. Learn more about elevating omnichannel experiences — with tips for adapting your strategy as the market inevitably changes.

For shoppers worldwide, seamless shopping experiences are no longer nice-to-haves, and brands and retailers alike must adapt to meet them wherever they are on the digital shelf.