New research shows that over half
(53%) of UK consumers believe that retailers provide a ‘disconnected’ shopping
experience that does not adequately join online shopping with the store, and
61% say they would consider changing retailers due to a disconnected shopping
experience.
The survey was carried out by Opinium
Research of behalf of MuleSoft in March 2017 and involved 2,006 UK adults. It
found that more than half (54%) of UK consumers said their retailers did not provide
a personalised service. Consumers felt retailers were performing significantly
worse when it comes to personalisation than other industries. For example, in
the banking sector, only 37% said their banks did not provide a personalised
service.
The findings also revealed that 63% of
consumers think it is unacceptable for retailers to show inaccurate information
regarding what items they have in stock when they are shopping either online or
instore.
According to Guy Murphy from MuleSoft:
“Today’s customers are now expecting more than a transactional relationship
with retailers; they want a seamless and personalised journey that reflects the
context of how they shop across devices and channels. Retailers can ill afford
dissatisfied customers, yet as the figures show disconnected data and systems
continue to severely impact customer loyalty.”
“It is still common for inventory and
order management systems to not be integrated, meaning shoppers receive
inaccurate product availability information. For retailers striving to offer a
great omni-channel experience, this is unacceptable. Retailers must be ready to
engage with customers across multiple touchpoints and provide a consistent experience
throughout, otherwise customers will simply shop elsewhere.”
Consumers expected retailers to know their
customer information whether they’re shopping in store, online or on their
phone, but the study found that almost half (46%) had frustrations with having
to re-input or re-submit personal information they had previously provided.
The study also found that more than a
quarter (28%) of those who had submitted a query or request for information
found it could not be answered, or took longer than anticipated, because retail
staff did not have access to all the information they needed. Even worse, nearly
a quarter (23%) of customers had given up altogether on an activity or request,
simply because sharing information with a retailer was too difficult.
RESEARCH REFERENCE
The survey was commissioned by MuleSoft and independently conducted by Opinium Research. The sample size was 2,006 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken online from 14th to 20th March 2017. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the relevant adult (18+) UK population.
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The survey was commissioned by MuleSoft and independently conducted by Opinium Research. The sample size was 2,006 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken online from 14th to 20th March 2017. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the relevant adult (18+) UK population.
To see hundreds more articles click here to visit our archive