report
Rethinking CX for retail and e-commerce.
Need to know what retail and e-commerce customers really want? So did we, so we asked 3,000 of them worldwide – and found some intriguing answers.
What kind of experiences are consumers now looking for?
In which channels are they most easily engaged?
How can brands and retailers make their customer experience more engaging in this new digital landscape?
What’s it going to take to stay relevant and competitive?
And how can we use these new digital tools to drive real, sustainable growth?
The report examines in detail the trends transforming CX in retail and e-commerce.
What do consumers really want from buying experiences?
How do brands get consumer attention – and keep it?
How do consumers want to communicate with retailers?
trend 1
“More than half of customers (53%) become frustrated when they receive mobile messages they can’t reply to.”
Our research found that people overwhelmingly want messaging to be about having a conversation, not just another way to get bombarded with unwanted marketing.
The technology to transform how we communicate with consumers does exist – but its adoption is still patchy across retail and e-commerce.
Messaging is a channel that is designed for conversational commerce, giving retailers a great chance to really offer their customers more engaging in-message experiences – which our survey says they really, really want.
Trend 2
“28% remember positive experiences for over 1 year – 43% remember negative ones for the same length of time.”
Consumer expectations for great experiences are higher than ever. Provide them, and they’ll remember it, but the flip side is also true – unengaging customer experiences will drive customers away and getting them back is harder than ever.
But for brands that embrace new technological possibilities, there is a huge opportunity. Consumers are actively asking for more information to guide their buying journey, as demonstrated when we asked them which kinds of ‘rich messaging’ they’d find most useful.
“Many retailers use tech to make more sales, cut costs and improve internal efficiencies. Few of them use tech to use a lens that focuses primarily on customer value creation.”
Trend 3
The lines between physical and digital experiences are becoming increasingly blurred, so for brands to remain relevant, they need to understand the value of both – and how each can complement the other.
“Give customers a channel they are comfortable purchasing in and then follow through on the complete purchasing journey…if someone likes self-service, don’t make them call or go to a store to return an item. It should be a consistent experience at every touch point.”
