New research from Manhattan Associates suggests the importance of delivery as part of the overall customer experience instore and online.
In the research 39% of consumers stated “being able to check stock availability” as the most important role of the store associate yet only 6% of retailers say they have an accurate inventory overview across all channels all of the time.
The study also showed that 41% of consumers stated “fast delivery” as a key reason they would stay loyal to a retailer. Free delivery meanwhile was chosen as the most important fulfilment option a retailer should offer as part of their online service proposition for 62% with consumers saying they were happy to wait three days to receive products in this way.
“Ship from store” seems to be increasing in popularity with 56% of retailers already doing it and 36% planning to offer it as part of their future fulfilment strategy.
Henri Seroux, senior vice president EMEA at Manhattan Associates, said: “Consumers clearly have an expectation of what a retail experience should look like in today’s digital world and are willing to offer their loyalty in exchange for retailers able to meet that expectation. Now is the time for retailers to invest in technologies that keep them ahead of the curve and take the appropriate steps required to close the gap between customer expectation and today’s reality. Those that do will be the ones that will thrive in 2017 and beyond.”
The research by Manhattan Associates questioned 2,000 UK adults about their shopping experience and expectations. It also sought the views of executives from 50 UK multi-channel retailers about their organisation’s service and fulfilment capabilities.
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