With a direct commerce offering, brands can harness insight to own customer relationships and control their proposition more responsively, according to a new commissioned by Digital River and conducted by Redshift Research. This found that 78 per cent of those shoppers surveyed would visit another online marketplace if they couldn’t buy direct.

Whilst 89 per cent of consumers say they visit brands’ websites when shopping online, the study showed 31 per cent would change brand allegiance if they couldn’t buy direct. For brands looking to harness customer relationships online, the report highlighted the importance of creating a connected consumer journey. Among the attributes most rated by online shoppers were clear pricing, comprehensive product information and being able to shop across devices. Whereas lack of stock availability and finding better deals on other websites were common reasons for purchase abandonment. Selling direct establishes opportunities to control key elements of the retail process, such as price. The research revealed that 21 per cent of consumers always carry out a price comparison when shopping online, while 49 per cent expect to pay less when buying directly from a brand.

Marco Vergani, general manager and vice president of EMEA at Digital River, comments: “Consumer appetite lies at the heart of online retail’s explosion. Shoppers have evolved in the way they want to gather and share information, interact with brands and retailers, and ultimately purchase goods. We know budget constraints and lack of expertise can often be barriers to brands when considering ecommerce. Outsourcing the management of the commerce business infrastructure is an extremely effective way for brands to establish direct online access with consumers, while removing the complexities of transacting online.”

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