- New report, Digital Promotions in A Physical World by IMRG for VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals growing importance of multi-channel retailing for the year ahead
- Report comes on the back of vital role multi-channel played over the festive retail period
- ABC1s and 35 – 44 year olds are the biggest multi-channel shoppers for retailers in 2014
- For a copy of Digital Promotions in A Physical World please contact pr@vouchercodes.co.uk
With recent Christmas retail trading figures highlighting the rapid evolution and importance of multi-channel, a new in-depth report1 by VoucherCodes.co.uk has revealed how changing consumer shopping habits are altering the UK retail landscape. The report, Digital Promotions in A Physical World compiled by retail experts IMRG for VoucherCodes.co.uk has indicated shoppers are using multi-channel approaches more than ever to inform their shopping habits.
Embracing multi-channel
The findings of the report have shown 35-44 year olds are the most multichannel group of shoppers in the UK at present, whilst surprisingly the 25-34 group are the biggest users of online as the main channel, more so than 18 – 24 year olds. Increasingly, the offline journey is also beginning online with over 50% of customers having researched a product online before purchasing in-store.
Socio-economic differences
The report revealed wide differences in how the different socio-economic groups embrace multi-channel shopping in the UK. ABC1s are savvier when it comes to embracing multi-channel retailing to make sure they are getting value for money when they make purchases. More than two thirds (64%) of ABC1s compare prices online before visiting stores to make purchases, compared to 56% of C2DEs. Nearly two in five (37%) also say they print vouchers sourced online to use in-store, compared to 24% of C2DEs. Likewise 16% of ABC1s test and ask for advice on a product in-store before eventually purchasing it online, compared to 1 in 10 (10%) C2DEs (see table below).
Table one: multi-channel behaviour by socio-economic group
| ABC1s | C2DEs | |
| I have printed a voucher I found online and used it when making a purchase in-store | 37% | 24% |
| I have compared prices online before visiting the store | 64% | 56% |
| I have purchased an item online and collected it in-store | 46% | 36% |
| I have researched an item online before going to a store to purchase it | 54% | 47% |
| I have tested and asked for advice for an item in-store before eventually buying it online | 16% | 10% |
| I found out about an item on my mobile/ smartphone whilst shopping, before purchasing it there and then in-store | 11% | 7% |
Source: YouGov for VoucherCodes.co.uk
Marina McKeever, Senior Sales Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk comments: “The days of shoppers using a solitary channel are long gone and as expectations around how consumers research and purchase products continue to change, retailers must continue to evolve their offerings. Our report shows the importance of maintaining brand and functional consistency across all channels as consumer increasingly jump from one to another, and highlights importance of investment in multichannel this year. This is especially true in light of the recent Christmas retail figures showing how vital multi-channel was to helping shops claw back sales in a difficult retail environment.
“While there is clearly still some disparity between the shopping habits of different social groups, the report reveals a common theme – that the in-store experience remains a very significant part of the retail journey. The importance of encouraging footfall to stores using digital techniques cannot be underestimated and is mutually beneficial to all channels. It reduces the cost of customer acquisition, increases customer loyalty, provides access to a single customer view and the same applies in reverse. Joining up in-store activity with other channels has often been neglected by retailers, but will be crucial for success as consumer shopping habits continue to evolve.”
Social-shopping
The findings in the IMRG report for VoucherCodes.co.uk also reveal retailers need to embrace a social strategy to ensure their messages are being heard by their target audiences. The report surprisingly showed LinkedIn users are the savviest when it comes to being multi-channel shopping, more so than Facebook, Twitter or Google+ users. More than two in five (43%) print off vouchers they find online and then use them in store, compared to 33% of Facebook, 36% of Twitter users and 28% of Google+ users. LinkedIn users are also the savviest when it comes to comparing prices online before visiting the store, 74% do this compared to 62% of Facebook users, 60% Google+ and 63% of Twitter users. Similarly over half (50%) of LinkedIn users take advantage of buy online / collect in-store services with 43% of Facebook users doing the same.
Marina McKeever, Senior Sales Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk added: “Some of the findings relating to which social media groups are the savviest when it comes to being multi-channel, may be surprising to some retailers and may lead them to re-assess their approach. However, as customers are communicating across all channels it makes sense for marcomms activity to replicate this. Our report shows over 65% of all mobiles in use in the UK are smartphones, with so many shoppers having access, social-mobile consumers will soon be the norm – mobile is truly the oil that makes this cross-channel conversation possible.”
For a copy of Digital Promotions in A Physical World please contact pr@vouchercodes.co.uk