One of the many major changes we’ve experienced in the past 18 months is how we shop. So I was interested to hear from Campaign and Pinterest’s panel about the evolution of shopping and how we can bridge the online and offline experience.
With the exponential growth in online ecommerce due to the pandemic, the number of online shoppers has more than tripled, leading to fierce competition. Businesses have put on their creative hats to ensure customers enjoy and find value in their experience with them, without the usual in-person interaction. It’s been a challenge, but there have certainly been some great things to come out of this opportunity for online businesses.
Virtual environments have become more creative, allowing customers to explore with evolving online tools, including trying on outfits using 3D tools and cameras, so that part of the real-life experience can be done in the comfort of the home.
With a plethora of options online, not only can you scan thousands of items within the hour, but you can read reviews, create a mood board, compare prices and get items delivered to your door without having to leave your sofa. Apps like Pinterest enable you to keep a personal catalogue and share ideas online. While Pinterest used to be purely for mood boards, it has found a way to monetise its offering. It reported that twice as many people are finding inspiration online, and over 475 million people around the world find this inspiration on Pinterest.
The spontaneity of the high street
However, digital can never truly match the spontaneity of the high street, can it? We’ve seen a rise in local shopping, with people wanting to support smaller businesses near their homes. Google even launched a campaign during the pandemic encouraging people to leave reviews for local businesses to help them out. As a result of increased time spent at home and the digitalisation of everyday experiences, there is a desire to leave the house and interact with the physical space and experience of tangible products. And although high street brands have made ordering and returning items easier than ever before, the shift to conscious buying has consumers considering the environmental impacts, which is another win for shopping local.
Consumers miss wandering into a shop for one thing and falling in love with something else. People visit instore retail for great music, great service, the environment and human interaction; the things that make up humanity. Which leads us to think — is shopping perceived as an experience or a process?
Almost half of online shoppers abandon their baskets — they want more than just an online transaction. So, what are brands offering to get people excited? They need to connect with consumers on a deeper level. The panel reported that 63% of people are likely to buy from somewhere with a social cause.
A need for social change
Within the five years we’ve seen movements such as Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion erupt with a need for social change. Society is forming a collective conscience and brands are looking to ambassadors who embody this. Rather than ‘greenwashing’, the brands that are winning have connected to how people are feeling and have reevaluated their business to illustrate that they align with these values.
We’ve looked at where we spend and what’s become important to us. There is a rise of conscious shopping, and according to the panel, over 70% of people will pay a premium for environmentally responsible brands. There is a heightened awareness of where things are coming from, what testing is involved and what materials the packaging is made of. Is it vegan? Is the packaging recyclable? It was also said, that 75% of consumers believe that brands should have positive impacts on society.
Great innovations are key
This led me to ask a question in the Q&A of the conference — “How much of an increase/decrease are you expecting of online/offline shopping in the next year?”
Their answer: great innovations are key for businesses now, on and offline. People often find inspiration online and buy offline, which means that both ways of ecommerce are in demand. But as online retail is becoming more creative, the physical space must do the same. Don’t look at people as consumers but think about how they work and how they feel. What are they going to want out of the physical experience? What is going to entice people to get out of the house and keep physical retail running? People work, call, and even date online, which means people need more reason for physical interaction.
In conclusion, at the heart of it is to know your audience, know your people, and know how to connect to them. Everyone shops on and offline, you just have to connect in the right way. The audience is growing and diversifying more than ever: people from different generations, different backgrounds, different ages, people who identify in new and different ways. We have to start looking at how we live and connect to our space and wellbeing.
