Consumer Behavior: What to Expect From 2020

The idea of a predictable, easily identifiable consumer has been a utopia for more than ten years now. The Internet of Things, heavy smartphone use, and social networks — phenomena that have revolutionized purchasing behaviors and habits — have become redundant, over-discussed concepts.

The end result is consumer fluidity, which makes it necessary to stay constantly up to date on the latest trends.

So what should a retailer expect from this new year?

OFFLINE ISN’T DEAD.

According to Google (2020), a simple and clear in-store shopping experience continues to be preferred by consumers, but only if it is paired with good customer care and continuity between online and offline. Physical contact with the product continues to play a very important role.

SMARTPHONE USE DOESN’T ALWAYS DISTRACT FROM PURCHASES — QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

Although smartphones are increasingly used during the shopping experience, this isn’t necessarily due to a search for cheaper prices or competing products.

Again according to Google (2019), the use of this device in-store is increasingly common for looking up additional information about the store itself, the brand, or the products sold: retailer searches on Google are in fact six times higher than those carried out on Amazon.

On top of this, the smartphone also plays a leading role when planning a store visit, and the most frequently typed queries concern opening hours, directions to the nearest store, general news about the brand, and product availability.

THE NEED FOR IMMEDIATE ANSWERS IS GROWING.

Consumers keep demanding an increasingly real-time response from the companies they communicate with online, whether the conversation involves simple opinions or complaints. Any delays have a substantial impact on the brand’s reputation.

MORE AND MORE SOCIAL.

The growing population of various kinds of social networks is opening up new opportunities in the retail world. According to social marketing platform provider SOCi, commerce could become so intertwined with these platforms that it ends up originating directly from social media.

REVIEWS MATTER.

We have repeatedly stressed the significant impact of online reviews, and this trend is confirmed again in the forecasts for 2020. SOCi also states that the average star rating needed for consumers to choose one brand or store over another has risen from 3 to 4 stars.

The way to ride these five trends of the new year is to choose strategies geared toward Local Digital Marketing.

A retailer needs to know how to guide customers and give them all the answers they’re looking for even before they walk through the store’s door. RetailTune is the ideal partner. Managing all the information contained in Google My Business listings (hours, phone number, directions) and reviews in the dedicated Q&A section, creating Drive to Store ad campaigns with a Loyalty and Care approach, centralized and automated distribution of data and drive-to-store calls-to-action across all digital touchpoints and managing Facebook location pages are activities successfully carried out by the agency and are essential for tackling the challenges of this new year, 2020.