MORE AND MORE SHOPPERS ARE GOING DIGITAL

December 15th, 2016 Posted by Interactive, Social, Strategy

As the holidays draw nearer, it’s time to start looking for the perfect gifts for the loved ones in your life. And if you think fighting through hordes of Black Friday shoppers to find the best deal sounds like the stuff of nightmares, you’re not alone.

More and more people are getting their shopping done digitally. Synchrony Financial recently published survey results that found that nearly 70% of consumers use mobile technology for shopping-related tasks. Furthermore, the number of people who made a purchase with an online retailer more than doubled compared to 2015.

No more than a decade ago, the idea of online retail shopping still seemed shaky at best. Maybe it could work for certain niche products, but it seemed doubtful that shoppers at the mainstream level would be willing to buy clothes, shoes, gadgets, and groceries without actually seeing the items and holding them in their hands.

That debate has clearly been put to rest. The convenience of digital shopping trumps any uncertainty that consumers might have.

And of course, digital shopping goes beyond making online purchases. Traditional brick and mortar retailers can use mobile technology to engage their customers while they shop. Offering discounts for customers who “check in,” mobile alerts, and digital wallets are just of few of the methods available to encourage brand interactions.

For marketers, this is a reminder of the ever-expanding list of ways to engage consumers and improve their experience with a given brand. Today’s shoppers demand a multifaceted, multi-platform approach to find and purchase the products they like. Gone are the days of simply hanging a SALE sign in the window.

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