When it comes to shopping, customers are looking for personalized experiences more than ever. Yes, people still want convenience, but whether this comes from a digital experience or physical experience matters less to customers. They’re more interested in simple, personal interactions that result in them getting the items they want, when they want them.

A recent global consumer study (cross-generational with 1,000 participants) conducted by Attest found that younger shoppers would rather visit a physical shop, even if it means being inconvenienced: 72% of US Gen Z and 62% of UK Gen Z prefer to go to a real-life shop and 34% of US Gen Z are willing to go out of their way to do it. 66.5% of US Millennials and 65% of UK Millennials also prefer to deal with real people.*

These preferences align with what we’re seeing with retailers shifting to focus more on delivering a customer experience that is exceptional via all channels – connecting physical and digital to ensure customers can find what they need above all else. It’s not a strategy of being everywhere; it’s a matter of being where shoppers feel compelled to make a purchase. Sometimes this is driven by convenience but more times than not it’s about having the right product at the right price at the right time and place.

At the same time, there is still a need to focus on creating a better digital experience as the research found that 38% UK Gen Z and 32% US Millennials prefer digital services. Customer reviews have become the lead source of buying information for shoppers online: 39% in the US and 38% in the UK put reviews from customers above all else when making a purchase decision.* Second to this is family and friends’ recommendations, proving the importance of building brand loyalty and reputation and that creating a sense of community amongst customers is instrumental for driving sales and increasing market share. Product information supplied by brands is the third factor that influences a purchase decision. Accurate descriptions, images and videos all play an important role in creating online product content that leads to conversion.

Check out Rithum’s Content Management ebook: Create Content that Increases Customer Engagement for more about how to create compelling online product content here.

*Information for this blog post has been sourced from Attest Global Lifestyle Report—UK vs US: A look at 5 Global Lifestyle Trends, May 28, 2019