What Do Customers Want from Retailers Today?

Retailers need to stay agile and keep adapting to stay ahead in today’s fast-paced world. As eMarketer cites, the difference between “winners” (companies with 4.5 percent growth or more) and “non-winners” (everyone else) often boils down to how well companies are able to innovate and focus on improving customer loyalty and products rather than fixating on revenue. Enterprises that aren’t actively innovating and prioritizing customer experience are at serious risk of getting left behind.

Let’s start by considering a few key things customers want from retailers today.

Ease of Shopping Experience

No matter the industry, product, or customers who shop with a retailer, things should be straightforward and easy for the shopper. What does this mean, exactly? Well, there are a few big things that play into the ease of shopping experience.

Without a doubt, retailers need to have an online game—and a strong one at that. Essentially everyone in today’s retail world needs to have an online presence. Giving shoppers a strong, seamless online experience is going to make them happy. This means having an easy-to-use website with intuitive navigation. Photos, filters, reviews, contact info, chatbots, and organization are all additional elements that play a big role in making a successful ecommerce site.

Shipping is another major thing to think about when considering customer shopping experience. Many people now expect free shipping and returns since it has been popularized by ecommerce giant Amazon. But this can be costly for smaller retailers. Make sure you create a clear shipping model with both fast and free — or at least inexpensive — options.

Intuitive Mobile Shopping

It should be clear now that having a strong online presence is key to giving customers what they want from you. But just being online isn’t enough in today’s world. Mobile ecommerce, otherwise known as m-commerce, is increasingly becoming a main way for people to purchase goods.

This might come as a surprise to some considering the fact that ecommerce as a whole is still a relatively new thing. However, Business Insider predicts that m-commerce will account for 45 percent of all ecommerce by 2024. Why is this significant for retailers? Because the way people shop on their mobile devices isn’t exactly the same as how they shop on a computer. But furthermore, it’s key for retailers to get it right when it comes to their mobile site.

Load times, navigation, and intuitive, streamlined design are all going to be key elements to building a mobile shopping experience that inspires people.

Greater Personalization

It’s likely that you’ve heard consumers are looking for greater levels of personalization when shopping. But what does this mean? How can a retailer customize or personalize the experience for every single person who shops with them?

Well, think about how that might have been done in the past. When someone used to walk into a store, they might know the clerk working there, who would be able to give personalized recommendations based on what that person has bought in the past.

Retailers should continue striving for that kind of personalization in their physical stores, but online as well. Some of that special touch has been lost due to many brands and retailers reaching high volumes that make it difficult to build relationships with every client. Thanks to innovative retail data analytics available today, however, brands can do a better job of building a personal experience based on customer demographic and behavioral data insights.

Stronger analytics programs, particularly those powered by artificial intelligence, allow brands to do much better in terms of personalization. Brands can also employ AI-powered chatbots to help shoppers quickly get answers to their questions and receive product recommendations.

Brands That Meet Moral Expectations

Everyone takes different things into account when making purchasing decisions. Some people look at price as the most important element for whether or not to buy something. Others make the choice purely based on how much they like or want the item. But there’s another factor that’s making headway into consumers’ buying habits: ethics.

Over the past few years, shoppers have started paying much more attention to things like ethical sourcing and materials. These sorts of ethical qualities are playing a role in how people buy more and more. Going forward, retailers need to take this into account if their target audience places a high value on these things.

The retail world is constantly changing. This is only becoming truer as technology introduces new ways for buyers and sellers to exchange goods. Keeping these concepts top-of-mind can help retailers find success going into the future.