NEW REPORT: When Digital Drives Offline Sales

Even consumers who still frequent brick-and-mortar shops expect the latest omni features at their fingertips to help improve their shopping experience. From responsive mobile websites to on-demand offerings, consumers are increasingly demanding that retailers, both online and in the real world, cater to their needs in the moment.

The May PYMNTS Omnicommerce Tracker, powered by Vantiv, looks at the latest advancements in technology and how the rise of new consumer-friendly features are changing the retail landscape.

On-Demand Days

As more consumers embrace the convenience offered by online and mobile commerce, companies around the omnichannel space have recently been looking to upgrade their on-demand and delivery offerings. They are perhaps inspired by offerings like Amazon’s Dash Buttons, which have become one of the company’s fastest growing services. Around four orders a minute are currently being placed by Amazon customers via Dash Buttons.

Meanwhile, a pair of companies are working on taking deliveries out of the hands of human couriers.

Yelp’s Eat24 is testing delivery via robot in a new partnership with Marble in select neighborhoods in San Francisco. And Boston Dynamics is working on their own robotic delivery system, which it showed off at this past April’s TED 2017 conference.

Bringing Online to the Real World

While more consumers opt for mobile and online channels than ever before, traditional brick-and-mortar retail hasn’t disappeared into thin air. In fact, new industry research indicates that 70 percent of consumers still value physical retail stores. And, according to the United States Census Bureau, the clear majority of retail transaction volume — more than 90 percent — is still spent offline.

New brands are still being built through brick-and-mortar sales, but Ajay Kapoor, VP of the appliances manufacturer SharkNinja, which has seen its market share soar thanks to in-store sales, recently told PYMNTS that the company’s brick-and-mortar success doesn’t mean they’ve ignored digital.

“Our challenge is meeting the consumer wherever they want to make their purchase and giving them all the resources and tools they want, and need, so the experience is as enjoyable as possible and they can make what they feel is a smart decision,” he said.

To read the story and for all the latest news and trends from around the Omni space, check out the latest Tracker.

To download the May edition of the PYMNTS.com Omnicommerce Tracker, click the button below…

About the Tracker

The PYMNTS.com Omnicommerce Tracker, powered by Vantiv, features industry-spanning research and insights that arm retailers with data to make smarter decisions for enabling omnichannel commerce.