A new study has found that UK retailers are struggling to meet consumers’ mobile and in-store expectations, with retailers being advised to enhance their operational capabilities in order to provide a seamless experience.
A survey of 750 UK consumers found that only 40% feel it easy to make purchases via mobile devices, and 38% cited in-store as the aspect of the shopping experience most in need of an upgrade.
15% of those who were polled feel retailers should promote free WiFi so that customers can buy online, while 21% of customers said stores should increase capabilities such as the ability to order out-of-stock products.
14% of those sampled said that they should be able to scan products in store, while 13% of them want real-time promotions to be sent to their mobiles when they are present around the stores.
According to the Accenture survey, 87% of respondents expect a retailer’s prices to be the same in-store and online and 57% want to always access the same promotions online that they have in-store.
30% of participants feel ship to home is the best fulfilment method for online orders, while pick up in-store option was cited to be better by 26% of UK shoppers.
58% of consumers think faster shipping is important, while 34% consider next day delivery as the most important option and 37% are happy to wait four to five days.
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Accenture UK Retail practice managing director Fiona O’Hara said: "The fact that UK shoppers want to check inventory on their mobiles, order out-of-stock products and have promotions sent to them while in-store, suggests immense potential for retailers to enhance investments in mobile applications that bridge a customer’s online and offline experience seamlessly."
"Building capabilities such as digital marketing and analytics will become key in the next few years, in order to increase customer traffic and boost loyalty. We see a few retailers doing this already – and they are exhibiting a significant edge over their competitors."
