Canadian shoppers want a more personalized experience, and according to Salesforce.com Inc., retailers aren’t listening.
For its third annual Connected Shopper report, the customer relationship management (CRM) giant interviewed more than 1000 Canadians about their use of technology in the shopping process, and discovered that while Canadian consumers are more likely than ever to research and shop on multiple channels, many believe retailers are doing a poor job of following them around.
“We all know a shopper’s journey is no longer as simple as walking into a store to browse merchandise and make a purchase. Armed with smartphones in their pockets and purses, most shoppers are doing their homework and researching merchandise before they reach the point of purchase in-store and online,” Shelley Bransten, senior vice president of Salesforce’s retail industry solutions division, wrote in a Sept. 26 blog post. “Yet retailers seem to be struggling to create seamless shopping experiences across the digital and physical worlds.”
Among Salesforce’s findings:
- 58 per cent of Canadian shoppers called their retail experiences “disconnected” from channel to channel;
- 56 per cent appreciated retailers offering product recommendations based on their purchase history; and
- 51 per cent said they would be willing to share data regarding their preferences in exchange for faster or more convenient service; but
- 66 per cent felt retailers didn’t know them.
As for what retailers can do about it:
- 22 per cent of respondents said they would appreciate the ability to conduct an image-based search or receive product recommendations based on merchandise they had seen in a physical store or online catalogue;
- 21 per cent said they would be open to personalized offers through a digital channel, such as email, website, or mobile app, based on their purchase history;
- 20 per cent said they would like to see personalized offers from associates in physical stores based on their purchase history.
For more information, check out the infographic below (click for a larger version).
