How technology has changed shopping forever

Shopping has undergone a drastic change in recent years. What was formerly a bricks-and-mortar pursuit is now predominantly done in the online world. Not only are people purchasing online, people are using the convenience of the internet to research far more extensively before they buy. One study revealed that, between 2015 and 2017, searches for footwear reviews increased by 85%. In this article, we will investigate these changing shopper behaviours, and how they have reshaped shopping.

Pre-purchase rituals

We’re no longer window shopping out on the high street, not when the digital window of smartphones offers a much wider range of style inspiration at the touch of a button. Social media was the first choice when respondents were asked where they get online inspiration from for their purchases. This behaviour has paved the way for social media influencers and celebrity endorsements too. In fact, the search term ‘influencer marketing’ experienced a 325% increase in searches between 2016 and 2017 — demonstrating company and agency interest in the new technique.

We’re also becoming far more specific with our search terms, says Google. Rising search terms between 2015 and 2017 included ‘kids light up shoes’ and ‘men’s Italian dress shoes’. This is possibly because we often know precisely what product we desire and are confident that our search will yield relevant results due to the vast amount of available information on the internet. As we become more internet-savvy, people are aware that searching for “boots” might bring up things they aren’t interested in, and are instead adding the colour and style they prefer, searching things like ‘black chukka boots’, for example.

It’s not just purchasing that has changed either; customers can now interact with businesses far more directly than ever before. This potential user-to-business engagement allows an individual to connect more with a brand, through social media contact and additional communication channels (such as live chat and 24/7 phone lines).

The end of try before you buy?

It’s not all doom and gloom for physical stores though. Although visits to physical stores were once falling, weekly bricks-and-mortar shoppers are up from 40% in 2015 to 44% in 2018. This could be due to people using shopping as a social activity.

How can retailers make the most of this opportunity? Retailers with physical stores have the chance to reduce their stock levels on-site and use the newfound space to create a more enjoyable, sensory experience for shoppers.

There’s also an increased market for purchases made via smartphones. In fact, statistics show that mobile commerce more than doubled between 2013 and 2018, rising from 7% to 17%. It’s looking likely that mobile shopping sales will soon surpass PC-based buying, which is currently at 20%.

This increase in mobile commerce suggests that customers aren’t as concerned with trying before they buy. The delivery and returns process has been made so easy by many retailers in order to encourage customers to order their products first and then try them at home. Customers are getting used to the convenient delivery service too. In fact, 25% of customers said that they wouldn’t continue with their orders if one-day delivery wasn’t available.

Future changes

Some high street stores have not survived the digital age. So, what does the future look like for the shopping industry?

Products may reach customers far quicker. There is discussion from some online retailers of a 30-minute drone delivery — almost 40% of customers would consider this as a method too! We can also expect to see more engaging stores as companies try to encourage more store visits.

The importance of influencer marketing is unlikely to change anytime soon either. But, due to the rapid speed of technological advancements, it’s hard to predict exactly what’s around the corner.