Customers want access to a single cart to shop across channels and be able to reach their cart via phone, computer or even in the store, according to the report published by BRP, Boston, Mass.
The study, “SPECIAL REPORT: Real-Time Retail,” reveals that 56% of consumers surveyed indicated that they were likely to shop at a retailer that allowed them to have a shared cart across channels instead of a retailer that does not offer this service, yet only 7% of retailers offer this shared cart concept.
Real-time retail is the ability to deliver a seamless and personalized experience to the customer whenever, wherever and however he/she chooses to shop. Likewise, it enables retailers to identify the customer and gather, analyze and disseminate customer, product, pricing and inventory data across all channels – instantly.
“Consumers expect a seamless experience in the store, on the web and via their mobile device, which makes ‘real-time retail’ the new industry imperative,” says Ken Morris, principal. “In our experience, many retailers can check inventory in real-time, but the data they are accessing is actually from yesterday, as the data is not really updated in real-time; it is faux real-time retail based on the store and forward architecture of legacy point-of-sale and e-commerce systems. As retailers move to unified commerce, full access to enterprise-wide data in real-time will become more common as it is a necessity to survive.”
The report’s highlights entail:
Seamless experience.
- Customer expectations. 56% are likely to shop at a retailer that offers a shared cart across channels.
- Retailer capabilities. 7% offer the ability for customers to have a shared cart across channels.
Personalization.
- Customer expectations. 87% want a personalized and consistent experience across all shopping channels.
- Retailer capabilities. 53% indicate that personalization of the customer experience is a top priority
