TILL a couple of years back consumers would eagerly wait for Big Bazaar?s ?Sabse Sasta Din? sale. But now the entire focus has shifted online with players such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon anouncing limited period mega sales ahead of a major festival or a long weekend. If earlier we would queue up at the Big Bazaar store waiting for the gates to open at 10:30 am sharp and take our pick of jaw-dropping discounts, now we keep our shopping cart at our favourite e-retailing portal filled to the brim, ready to hit the ?Buy? button. In the last decade or so, there has been a seismic shift in the way marketers have approached the retail category. The global boom in online shopping has further aided in reshaping global retailer practices and consumer attitudes and behaviour towards shopping in general and online shopping in particular.
While in many ways, the reasons why people shop today have not changed, what has indeed changed is the ?how? part of the shopping experience. To unearth more such new ?truths? about emerging global consumer shopping trends and behaviour, McCann conducted a comprehensive research study with over 10,000 people located in 11 countries. This new ?Truth about Shopping? study explored global consumer attitudes and behaviour related to all areas of shopping today, including online, mobile and in-store purchasing, views about data and privacy, and preferences about the shopping environment and experience.
Until very recently, people went shopping. You might even say that going shopping was an event, a special activity, something worth dressing up for. But in our technology-driven world of constant shopping, the rules are changing. In the ?50s and ?60s, consumers painted a picture of a world where going shopping was ?special? and something to ?dress up? for. Most global consumers report shopping today and in the future as something more complex, impersonal and scientific.
It was interesting to note that emerging markets are witnessing the most significant changes in the retail category and are spearheading innovation. Not only are consumers in markets such as Brazil, China and India increasingly seeking freedom and self-expression through the shopping experience, they are also challenging the shopping norms that were established in the developed markets.
Mobile retailing is emerging as an area wherein a big opportunity to experiment with sensorial branding lies. While nearly half of those surveyed saw themselves shopping exclusively on their mobile in the future, for nearly 70% of those surveyed, mobiles are currently emerging as the new ?window-shopping? medium – good for browsing but not for buying.
Technology is transforming and will continue to transform the shopping landscape; excessive focus on the science of shopping can put brands and retailers in danger of sacrificing the equally important art of shopping. Mixing creativity with real human insight is what should define the art of shopping. Brands and retailers must look to find the right balance of both the art and the science of shopping.
So the big question really is — how do we keep the art of shopping alive in the age of algorithm? Seamless blending between technology and physical experience is one way to go about it as was beautifully executed by Burberry that used an ingenious technology to allow women to scan their skin tone and find the perfect shade in-store.
In a data-driven world, the shopping experience could become a little too predictable adversely impacting the new-age consumers? much desired ?joy of discovery? of new things. Understandably, 57% of global consumers worry that they will discover fewer new things if companies always show them exactly what they?re looking for. Again, 52% of people feel that shopping is too impersonal these days and they are concerned about the reliance on algorithms to dictate their purchases.
Security and privacy will become dominant factors in the retail space triggering an acute need for more secure and private interactions between retailers and the global consumers.
The visual language of shopping is also coming to the fore. David Hoey, the head of visual presentations at Bergdorf Goodman, beautifully stated, ?Windows should be creative, uncompromised dreams.?
One research finding that stood out from others was that shopping is still very much about connecting with other humans, whether that is the people you choose to go shopping with or the assistants you connect with during your shopping journey. Marketers can leverage this key insight to enhance shoppers? social experience and experiment with new and ingenious in-store innovations.
Consumers today have not just evolved into entities with greater awareness, greater concern but also exhibit acute interest in the future of shopping.
Many shoppers are keenly attuned to the fact that online retail firms closely monitor shoppers? online movement and market products based on their online movement. A large percentage of them are worried about the extent of information that marketers know about them.
The future of shopping across the world is looking optimistic and more engaging as consumers worldwide are showing a keen interest in experimenting with newer technologies like fingerprinting or retina scans enabled payment authentications.
The new world of shopping experience has prompted changes in shoppers? personal shopping behaviour. The previously unheard of midnight-shopping or mid-dinner shopping are not just becoming acceptable, but a significant number of shoppers worldwide consider it acceptable to excuse themselves from a meeting or a dinner to benefit from online flash sales. So much for an old-fashioned view of manners.
The author is executive vice president and head of strategic planning at McCann Erickson
