As the retail industry continues to evolve, shoppers are increasingly looking for complex, long-term relationships with brands, rather than transactional flings. According to Craig Summers, Managing Director UKI at Manhattan Associates, this shift is due to the fact that shopping is no longer a simple act of practical consumption, but rather an opportunity for self-expression and a signal of virtue through a choice.

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A recent study conducted by Manhattan Associates found that 77% of shoppers prefer options that allow them to select a delivery method based on speed, cost and sustainability, while only 50% of retailers currently provide this capability. This highlights the need for retailers to unify their digital and physical experiences in order to provide a consistent customer journey across all touchpoints.

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Summers explains that “a lack of foundational capabilities to tie digital and physical experiences together means retailers lose important context when shoppers move from one channel to another and back again, which in turn introduces avoidable friction across the shopper journey.”

The study also found that the average revenue growth rates for specialty retailers show the clear benefit of investing in a truly unified commerce strategy.

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The shift towards considerate consumerism is reshaping commerce as we know it. According to Summers, shoppers now expect their favorite brands to stand up for values such as sustainability, social equity, holistic wellness and inclusivity. In order to deliver a truly unified commerce experience, the study outlines three key areas retailers need to focus on.

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The first is customisation, which is not just about products, but also about bespoke options at every step of the retail journey. The second is visibility, which needs to take into account every step of the path-to-purchase. Finally, flexibility and convenience is about more than just speed, it’s about options.

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Summers concludes that “by helping shoppers find products that align with their values systems, being more transparent about supply chains and providing education about the environmental impact of different shipping options, brands can shift the traditional narrative, from one that has largely revolved around profit, to one that mirrors the popular zeitgeist of the age.”

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Sources: https://internetretailing.net/how-shoppers-want-complex-long-term-relationships-not-linear-transactional-flings-in-2023/