Analytics show that customers have become more demanding when it comes to convenience and the shopping experience, as they know that they can always switch to another retailer for buying goods.
Retailers are heavily investing in launching frictionless shopping initiatives and loyalty programs to attract as many customers as they can.
Frictionless/contextual shopping/commerce is the method of using data, technology, and devices to integrate buying opportunities as seamlessly as possible into the shopper’s journey.
The goal is to reduce the amount of time and inconvenience involved in the steps between the desire for a product and receiving it.
“For retailers, the broad benefit of investing in frictionless shopping is that consumers are more willing to make a purchase if there is minimal ‘friction’ when progressing through different stages of the buying journey,” says Retail Market Analyst at GlobalData, Vijay Bhupathiraju.
“However, the concept of friction differs not only across the variety of individual shopper journeys but is also a subjective ideal that varies from shopper to shopper.”
“All frictionless shopping services and loyalty programs being launched by retailers are aiming for a better connection with consumers during their retail journeys and meaningful insights must be drawn from the data collected at each retail touchpoint.
“Consistent innovation and optimising the retail channel by leveraging digital capabilities to enhance the overall customer experience must be at the forefront of a plan of action by retailers and brands,” concludes Mr Bhupathiraju.