Well-managed omnichannel increases in-store revenue by 100%
PAMBIANCONEWS.COM
Does digital really increase traffic to physical stores? Does Drive to Store work? At RetailTune, we carried out a survey of a panel of 400 users online on this very topic.
Retail and wholesale companies are increasingly focused on reaching the omnichannel consumer — the one who buys everywhere (online, offline, on-life), but above all the one who researches before buying. Some studies show that more than 80% of consumers consult more than 8 sources of information before making a purchase. This exploratory phase translates into calls or WhatsApp messages to the store, requests for directions, in-store appointments, Back in Store, or Reserve in Store.
But do Drive to Store and Local Digital Marketing strategies actually manage to bring consumers into stores? According to the research conducted by RetailTune, 42% of online users contacted by the store manager after a Back in Store request go to the store, and 45% of those make a purchase, half of them buying more than one item.
The percentages rise even further when a request is made to reserve the product in store. In this case, 75% of users contacted by the boutique visit the store, and 86% complete the purchase of the desired item. Users who are not contacted also buy, but only 15% of them do.
“Omnichannel is a concept increasingly discussed at conventions, events, and conferences, and currently a huge challenge for companies. We have always been convinced that digital is also physical, and that it is made up of people, who have needs and desires to satisfy at a specific moment and in a specific place,” says Claudio Agazzi, Founder and CEO of RetailTune. “Our survey confirms what we have always maintained. Drive to Store is not just a roundtable talking point — it has a real dimension, and if well managed, it is a genuine source of business.”
The survey’s findings suggested to RetailTune that customers who are not contacted by the store following a request visit less often and buy less. This is why responding to the requests of those interested in a brand or a specific product is essential to increase customer loyalty and boutique traffic, thanks to tools that help turn online requests into offline sales.
“What was missing was support for the store in the day-to-day management of requests, so we created AppDate,” Agazzi adds, “the B2B app that lets sales staff respond to every user request (a new appointment, information, Back in Store, Reserve in Store, a new review, or a new chat on Google) directly from mobile, anywhere and in real time, thanks to new push notifications.”