Retailers are failing to meet customer expectations when it comes to shopping online and on mobile, with just 45% of shoppers saying they are satisfied with the mobile shopping experience they encounter.
The 5th Annual Shopper Experience Study, from Cognizant, finds that only 52% of shoppers have made a purchase on a mobile device – a small fraction of their total m-commerce purchases – but 78% conduct product research on a mobile device.
More significantly, however, is the attitude to personal and social data. The study, which surveyed respondents from the US, UK, Germany and China, finds that 63% of shoppers express a negative reaction to retailers who use social media to influence purchases, recommend products or share deals.
And 68% of shoppers say they are not willing to share personal information from social networks, nor are they willing to share credit card numbers (69%), online browsing behaviour (61%), household information (64%) and phone numbers (61%).
Despite this, 51% of shoppers will respond to personalised marketing when it provides improved services.
For retailers, one answer is to focus on sources of information that shoppers are willing to share such as data through loyalty programmes (43%), personal shopping preferences (33%), and events such as birthdays and anniversaries (29%).
Digital technology has permeated every part of our private and professional lives, and nowhere is it so evident as in the retail industry, says the report. The retail experience has to be quick and easy, offer high value products at affordable prices whilst, crucially, avoiding mistakes that disappoint their shoppers.
But, while many retailers have innovatively implemented new systems that reduce cost and improve sales, despite wanting a more personalised experience, customer still aren’t willing to give up their data.
One solution is for retail businesses to focus on linking together a consistence customer experience across online, mobile, social media and in store, the holy grail for many retail organisations. Although this marks a significant shift in what many currently have the infrastructure to support, businesses can begin to take steps now to ensure they are prepared for future developments in the industry, particularly those centered around data.
The complete report can be viewed here
