What Shoppers Expect in 2018 and Beyond

Know, Delight, Surprise, and Make It Easy for Customers with Four Pillars of Retail Success

Today’s shoppers rarely make the same purchase journey twice. Millennials are driving the demand for more integrated customer service across digital and physical channels. Yet, even with seemingly unpredictable patterns, customers expect brands to cater to them wherever they are, whenever they want, and to do so with full understanding of their needs and expectations.

But retail brands aren’t fueling the technological innovation needed to keep up with shopper expectations. This provides a great opportunity for innovative processes that will surprise and delight shoppers, whether in a store, online, or on a mobile app.

The “Connected Shoppers Report” reveals key trends in digitalizing the shopping experience. Here are four pillars of retail success based on those results.

Unless otherwise noted, data is from the "Connected Shoppers Report," Salesforce Research, September 2017. Data may or may not be represented in the "Connected Shoppers Report."

01

The path to purchase (and beyond) is no longer a straight line. New digital touchpoints are creating unique journeys for every shopper.
2016–2017 Channel Growth across Customer Journey Stages
Researching Buying Requesting Customer Service Video chat +117% +67% +90% SMS/text +59% +54% +80% Retailer’s mobile app +16% +28% +50%
Researching Buying Requesting Customer Service Video chat +117% +67% +90% SMS/text +59% +54% +80% Retailer’s mobile app +16% +28% +50%
Millennials are especially quick to embrace the newest digital channels and expect retailers to have a presence as they ramp up adoption.
Millennials’ Channel Usage across Customer Journey Stages
Researching Buying Requesting Customer Service 43% 35% 29% Messaging app 40% 32% 28% Voice-activated digital assistant
Researching Buying Requesting Customer Service 43% 35% 29% Messaging app 40% 32% 28% Voice-activated digital assistant
Across their journeys, millennials are
2.6x

more likely to use video chat

1.9x

more likely to use chat/IM

2.0x

more likely to use social media

2.0x

more likely to use messaging apps

1.8x

more likely to use a retailer's mobile app

than baby boomers.
02

Shoppers aren’t just using new channels; they’re increasingly moving across them as they progress through their purchase journeys.
55%

of shoppers have purchased a product online to pick up in a store.

28%

of shoppers have purchased products for delivery that were unavailable in a store.

Retailers must not only ensure the proper context for shoppers, but also that employees can easily use that context to drive transactions and foster deeper relationships. Retailers have a way to go to meet these standards.
63%

of shoppers don’t feel like retailers truly know who they are.

55%

of shoppers say retail experiences are generally disconnected from channel to channel.

1.8x

Millennials are almost twice as likely as baby boomers to say it’d be helpful for stores to know about their online research in exchange for better service.

Regardless of the channels they use, shoppers expect a seamless engagement as they research, buy, and request service. If a brand doesn’t live up to their standards, they’ll find others that do.
Consumers are likely to switch brands2
65%

of consumers are likely to switch brands if a company provides an inconsistent experience across channels (e.g., in stores, online, email, mobile social).

73%

of consumers are likely to switch brands if a company provides an inconsistent experience across levels of service (i.e., it feels like they’re dealing with a different company when speaking to a sales rep vs. a service rep).

03

Using artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday life is transforming consumer expectations. Consumers don’t just demand consistent, personalized experiences; they expect predictive experiences that get them the merchandise they want in less time.
51%

of consumers expect companies to anticipate their needs and make relevant suggestions by 2020.1

50%

of consumers are likely to switch brands if a company doesn’t anticipate their needs.1

AI is upending the retail industry, and we needn’t look further than Amazon to know why. Having brought personalized recommendations, automatic order fulfillments, and Alexa to the masses, Amazon has taught consumers to reject mass campaign messages and demand personalized 1-to-1 engagement.
71%

of Amazon shoppers say the company does a good job of recommending products that meet their needs.2

Top AI or other technology capabilities that would appeal to shoppers
1.

Ability to search in-store or online catalogs and receive product recommendations based on an image

2.

Automated SMS/text or mobile push notifications personalized to user preferences

3.

Personalized offers in a digital channel based on purchasing history

4.

Mobile wallet

5.

Personalized offers in a digital channel based on browsing activity

04

Mobile has transformed so many parts of our lives, it was only a matter of time before it revolutionized our shopping experiences, too. Ecommerce encourages instant gratification by letting shoppers purchase items anywhere, anytime.
Mobile now accounts for:3
57%

of ecommerce traffic share (+23% YoY)

34%

of ecommerce orders (+17% YoY)

50%

of consumers are likely to switch from brands that don’t provide an easy-to-use mobile experience.1

The mobile mindset doesn’t switch off when a shopper enters a store. Webrooming and showrooming are surging as consumers turn to their devices to ensure they’re getting the best deal on the right product.
2016–2017 Growth for In-Store Online Shopping
+10%

Increase in shoppers researching products on mobile devices while in a store

+21%

Increase in shoppers purchasing products from mobile devices while in a store

Retailers can meet shoppers’ mobile expectations in two ways:

First, optimize the digital channels that shoppers love in order to become accessible anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

Second, empower store associates with the mobile capabilities that consumers expect, including access to customer information that fosters personalized journeys.

58%

of shoppers say store associates need the ability to look up product details on-demand on mobile devices.

35%

of shoppers say store associates need the ability to perform checkout anywhere in the store from mobile devices.

Only 17%

of shoppers have been offered in-store assistance from associates with mobile devices.

Retail’s transformation is far from over; we’ve only scratched the surface. A business’ ability to innovate is a key factor when customers decide which business to buy from. Retailers must keep up or risk losing out to someone who does.
Innovation is key for brands to succeed in the digital age.
57%

of consumers say a company’s ability to innovate is absolutely critical or very important when purchasing from a company.1

By 2020,

consumers expect technological advancements to have the biggest positive impact on the online retail industry.1

Brands must keep up with shopper expectations by improving and unifying the customer experience across platforms, but they have a long way to go.
52%

of retail IT teams’ time is spent maintaining infrastructure, rather than innovating.4

Only 4%

of retail IT teams have completely integrated data sources for a single view of the customer across business units.4

For more retail insights and shopper trends, download the complete “Connected Shoppers Report.”
Get the truest picture of shopping available today with our “Commerce Cloud Shopping Index.”
Learn how Salesforce for Retail can help brands reach customers at every stage of their purchasing journey with this demo.
Sources
  1. “State of the Connected Customer,” Salesforce Research, October 2016.
  2. “Amazon’s 5 Plays of Connected Retail,” October 2017.
  3. "Salesforce Commerce Cloud Shopping Index," Salesforce Research, Q2 2017.
  4. “State of IT” survey, Salesforce Research, February 2017. Data may or may not be represented in the second annual “State of IT" report.