Shoppers embrace omnichannel even for small ticket items

The FutureBuy report covers 35 countries and 18 major product categories and found that in beauty and personal care 40% said they use both in-store and online resources, in packaged goods it was 23% (up from 14% in 2016 ) and in household washing and cleaning products its was 25% (up from 15% in 2016 ).

Shoppers are almost twice as likely ( 38% versus 22%) to report that they researched a product online and then bought it in a store (‘webrooming’), as opposed to researching in store and then buying online (‘showrooming’).

Among those who bought in store, nearly half ( 47%) cite the ability to see the item before buying it as a key reason. Getting the product sooner is also mentioned frequently ( 43%), with the ability to buy something as part of routine shopping coming in third ( 35%).

For shoppers buying online, saving money is the most common reason – mentioned by more than half ( 54%) of online purchasers.

Joe Beier, executive vice-president of GfK’s shopper and retail strategy team, said: “Across all product categories, Asia Pacific shoppers tend to lead in embracing omnichannel strategies – but the US is catching up. US shoppers now use digital devices for obtaining even everyday needs – but they still rely on stores to be there for browsing and purchases alike.”