Are we becoming more high maintenance in this digital age?
A new survey suggests we are.
The Retail Council of Canada and its Marketing Advisory Council teamed up with Google Canada and WisePlum to conduct a survey of more than 5,000 Canadians questioning their shopping habits, expectations, and needs.
© Can Stock Photo / illustrart
The results suggest consumers have little loyalty to retailers that do not fulfil their expectations and low tolerance for errors.
When it comes to having the "perfect shopping experience", maybe shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store may be a better bet. About 67 per cent of those who bought online reported trouble with their purchases, compared to 41 per cent of who went to the store.
The council believes the results of the survey indicate the death of brick and mortar stores may be exaggerated. It says consumers do more research than ever before, but more of them are visiting a store before making a purchase, than going online.
The top complaints about online purchases were delivery taking longer than expected, and not being able to track an order.
When it came to recommending an online retailer to their friends, 47 per cent said they were less likely to if they encountered a problem.
"We are seeing a consumer who will not hesitate to switch retailers when problems occur," said Diane J. Brisebois, the president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada. "Consumers are frustrated by long checkout lines in store, annoyed by all the credentials required for an online purchase, or finding out a product is out of stock after they have decided to buy. Retailers in Canada are aggressively looking at new ways to quicking meet the demands of consumers to remain competitive."
The age of the respondent appeared to indicate how sensitive they were to issues. Of Millennials, 59 per cent reported more problems buying both online and in-store, compared to older consumers of which 32 per cent reported "friction".
© Can Stock Photo / photosoup
"Younger Canadians are technology experts. They want shopping to be more personal, faster, and better, and it should work across all devices and surfaces by merging online and offline to create one intuitive experience," said Director of Retail at Google, Eric Morris. "They are moving fast, and retailers need to move faster."
The study vindicates grocery chains like Walmart and Superstore who have moved to integrate both their online services with what is on offer in the store. The council says it indicates consumers want more options while picking up groceries including click and collect, curbside pickup, home delivery, and designated pickup locations.
The survey was conducted from October 11 to 25, 2018 in every major retail sector.