Customers are willing to desert retailers over inaccurate stock availability data, according to a survey commissioned by MuleSoft.
The report found that 80% of consumers believed out-of-date or inaccurate data on stock availability or delivery tracking would make them likely to shop with another retailer.
It also found 58% of consumers saying retailers provided a disconnected experience across different channels, up from 56% the previous year. This was shown to be a key concern, with 60% of consumers saying they would consider changing retailers as a result of this disconnected experience.
Asked on the experiences they wanted during this year’s peak, 37% of consumers expressed a desire for real-time visibility into stock availability while the same percentage cited click and collect.
The report surveyed 9000 consumers across Europe, the US, Asia and Oceania.
David Chao, vice president of product marketing, MuleSoft, said: “Despite the hype around how technologies like AR/VR and IoT are going to transform retail experiences, consumers continue to value service above all else. Being able to provide consumers with accurate, real-time inventory and delivery tracking information should be a prerequisite, yet it remains a challenge for many retailers who have siloed legacy systems.
“Retailers that leverage APIs to successfully integrate their existing legacy systems in an application network will be much better positioned to deliver a connected retail experience.”
Chao added: “In order to innovate at scale, retailers need to ensure that new technologies are deployed and integrated effectively with existing systems across their ecosystem. This can be achieved by creating an application network, which connects retailers’ applications, data and devices seamlessly. By taking this approach, retailers can better unlock the value of customer data and provide personalised customer experiences.”
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