Klarna has today launched a new report “Owning Omnichannel: winning at clicks and bricks”, which reveals a clear disconnect between what shoppers want from an omnichannel shopping experience and what retailers think they want.
With 89% of Klarna shoppers using multiple channels to search and spend, it’s unsurprising that 73% of retailers are looking to increase their investment in omnichannel strategies – with an 8.16% average expected increase in spend. However, faced with high consumer expectations, retailers could be in danger of misplacing investment – and alienating huge sways of consumers – unless they fully understand what their customers value about the retail experience.
What customers really want
Interestingly, the majority of retailers (75%) consider themselves to be sophisticated when it comes to omnichannel, yet 50% of Klarna users believe retailers are not joined up enough between their online and in-store operations.
To see products in real life
When it comes to shopping in physical stores, the research highlights that physical retail is still an important channel, even for digital savvy shoppers with half of Klarna users shopping at retailers’ physical stores. Shoppers are nearly twice as likely to value seeing and feeling items they’re buying in real life (88% Klarna shoppers vs 45% retailers). Meanwhile, half (49%) of shoppers value being able to visit showrooms and see items in store, but pay online – whereas only 32% of retailers think this adds value for customers.
Shoppers are nearly twice as likely to value seeing and feeling items they’re buying in real life. Meanwhile, half (49%) of shoppers value being able to visit showrooms and see items in store, but pay online – whereas only 32% of retailers think this adds value for customers. What’s more, retailers consider human sales assistants to be more important than they are, with only 26% of customers saying they add value to their in-store experience, compared to 36% of retailers.
A smooth online experience
In regards to online shopping, Retailers fail to fully appreciate the importance of a smooth and easy experience. 84% of Klarna shoppers say they value autofill functionality online, but only 33% of retailers think this adds value to the shopping experience. And, only 45% of retailers believe one click payments or check out adds significant value for their consumers, whilst 65% of shoppers report this to be one of the most important aspects of their online shopping experience.
