Consumers may search for a product on their phone, compare prices across different online stores and ultimately buy it from a physical shop. They may also do exactly the opposite. What is much less likely to change is the criterion they use to make their final decision: how much they will pay.
For retailers, and supermarkets in particular, this behaviour creates a new reality. A presence in both physical and digital channels is increasingly taken for granted, but does not in itself guarantee a sale. Consumers have more ways to search for and compare products, and can more easily switch stores or brands.
The shift is reflected in a BrandsMirror, “Omnichannel Shopper Journey Research: The New Shopping Journey in the Phygital Era” survey. Its findings show that 86.2% of consumers have moved from a physical to an online store, or vice versa, during the same shopping journey.
Some 40.3% now use the two channels to the same extent, more than the 36.3% who shop mainly in physical stores and the 23.3% who prefer to shop online.
Who shops online and in store, and how
Despite the development of new digital tools and services, the main factors shaping purchasing decisions remain traditional. Price is a deciding factor for 92% of consumers, while 79.1% place particular importance on special offers. Reviews from other shoppers follow at 42.3%, ease of purchase and delivery at 29.7%, and product availability at 24.3%. Loyalty programmes, at 17.7%, and the shopping experience, at 14.9%, rank lower.
For 78% of consumers, prices and special offers are the main reason to return to a business. Service is cited by 42.3%, ease of the process by 31.7% and speed by 21.4%.
The survey also finds that movement between physical and digital channels does not follow a fixed pattern. For their most recent purchase, 33.7% of respondents went straight to a physical store without researching the product first, while 9.2% made a purchase directly online. By contrast, 27.7% researched online and completed their purchase online, while 28.3% used both channels.
The physical store remains important in certain categories. For food, 45% prefer to search for and examine products in person, while 31% combine information from physical and digital channels. Only 24% rely on online information when choosing food.
Another factor influencing purchases is the growing use of apps, driven mainly by coupons. Some 65.6% use retail apps at least occasionally, but only 23.6% use them frequently. For 58%, the main reason is special offers and coupons. Preparing for a store visit follows at 33.1%, use at the checkout or through a loyalty card at 28.3%, post-purchase services at 24.6%, and in-store use at 21.7%. Only 38.2% believe apps help them a great deal or a very great deal to combine in-store and online shopping.
Consumers take a similar view of personalised recommendations. Some 65.6% find them useful when they come with a better price or a coupon, while only 23.2% particularly value recommendations based on their previous purchase history.
At the same time, a new battleground is emerging around Artificial Intelligence. But only 14% say they are better served by using AI as a shopping adviser. Some 29.9% are cautious, 12.2% are negative and the remaining 43.9% are neutral or somewhat positive. Meanwhile, 53.3% want to know why an AI tool recommends a particular product.
Despite the growth of digital channels, one of the biggest challenges for retail remains product availability. According to the survey, when consumers cannot find the product they are looking for, 28.5% choose a competing product and 14.4% turn to a different category. This means the original brand loses that particular sale in 42.9% of cases. A further 16.1% abandon the purchase altogether, while 41% prefer to wait until the product is available again.