01/09/2009
By Scott Thompson
The store remains the key driver of customer satisfaction and retail revenues, despite the trend towards online shopping.
Research by Sterling Commerce highlights that, with multi channel promotions increasing in frequency, retailers are finding themselves out-of-stock more often. However, 72 per cent of shoppers value the ability to order out-of-stock products in the store, where they can pick up the product at a time that suits them. The survey, carried out across apparel, consumer electronics and DVD/books/music, also shows that 33 per cent of consumers still want to return goods in-store, where the staff will have the opportunity to convert returns into new purchases.
"Although most retailers now offer a multi-channel platform to consumers, it's important to be aware of all trends in cross channel purchasing and returns," says David Hogg retail/CPG marketing manager, EMEA, at Sterling Commerce "We are seeing a trend towards online shopping, but revenue opportunities still lie within the store, as in-store staff can convert returns into in-store purchases rather than a refund, or order replacement items that appear out-of-stock online. In these tighter economic times, it is more important than ever that retailers focus on customer loyalty and maximise all revenue opportunities by offering options such as click and collect and in-store returns. The financial loss of not offering these is something that no retailer can risk."
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