Avail Intelligence Experience Index reveals internet shopping still lacks the personal touch

Avail Intelligence Experience Index reveals internet shopping still lacks the personal touch

More than a third (35 per cent) of Britons would spend more online if offered better customer care or advice, indicating that retailers are missing out on valuable sales, according to a new survey.

Findings from the research carried out online for Avail Intelligence, behavioural merchandising specialist, show that retailers should be worried that poor customer care coupled with a lack of quality guidance could be driving online shoppers away.

Customer care is differentiator

According to the research, conducted among more than 2,000 UK adults by YouGov, one in three (30%) still prefer shopping on the High Street. When asked why, better customer care (47%) and access to advice and support (35%) were the most popular reasons cited.

It was also apparent that some retailers are not as joined up cross-channel as they should be. Only 5% stated they found product pricing better on the High Street, which was far lower than online (61%).

Additionally, 51% of respondents cited that the range of products stocked by retailers online was better than the High Street, with only 13% claiming the opposite was true. Only 14% stated that they thought the ability to find what they wanted was better in a store than online.

According to the survey, the areas where retailers could make improvements online that would encourage most consumers to spend saw customer care come out top (22%). Pricing (14%) was second, followed by advice and support (12%), product information (10%), navigation (9%) and range of products (5%).

Limiting online growth potential

“It is clear that shoppers would spend more online, if they had access to the recommendations and advice they currently get when visiting a physical store,” said Pontus Kristiansson, Avail Intelligence chief executive and co-founder. “The challenge for retailers is offering that without impacting its cost base so much so that it takes away the benefit consumers see in terms of lower prices online.”

Kristiansson continued: “The findings also suggest that retailers should be doing more to create a consistent shopping experience cross-channel for its customers. For example, the range and volume of products stocked by a store is determined by floor space. The simple addition of a web-enabled kiosk could link instore and online and provide shoppers with access to a wide range of products increasing the chance they’ll make a purchase with you and not a competitor.”