In times past, when you wanted to make a purchase, you would have to head out of your home and go to store. There was no other option. Well, now if you need to make a purchase, you could go to a store if you want or you could opt for making your order online. Right now, you can order just about anything from groceries to household furniture, with the click of a few buttons. Online shopping isn’t just restricted to stores within your locale, you could also shop from stores outside your state or even abroad.
With the convenience that online shopping has brought to manycustomers, some might think the buck stops there. Well, it doesn’t. Presently, customers are making business to look for new ways to innovate online shopping from the regular ways which they use. There is a call for delightful shopping experiences focused on the customer and also personalized to the customer’s individual needs as further proven by https://www.bestreviews.guide/
Here are some such trends which have and are steadily reshaping online shopping from what you used to know.
Brands are leveraging on social media
Social media has revolutionized a whole of industries in the whole. From promotion of movies to starting of a movement, social media has the power to create a narrative either for good or for harm. The power of social media isn’t in the apps themselves but in the acceptance by people about what these apps can do for them. Some social media apps like Facebook have billions of people active on it all over the world. The primary objective is to get people connected all around the world. Well, business are not left out. They use social media to connect with their customers through reviews, which can be posted on the company’s page, promotion of ads which their customers get to see, or even the use of brand influencers to showcase their product offerings. The power of social media is been harnessed by businesses to reach their customers.
Customers are price-savvy
Gone are the days when customers purchase a product or good from you because they stepped into your store and have no clue as to what the prevailing price of that good or product is elsewhere. Right now, there are apps which enable shoppers to compare prices of goods between stores. All the customer has to do is, if in-store, is scan the barcode on the good and the app instantly returns the price range for the good in different stores, mostly those closest to you. Another trend is the conducting of research about a product before purchase. Most shoppers now go on the internet to know more about a product before making a buying decision. This makes for a better-informed customer.
The new word ‘retailtenment’
In recent times and in response to what the customers want, retailers have found a way to enhance the overall customer experience. One such way was the Slumber party held by Ikea in the UK. Contrary to popular beliefs, it was a huge success. The popular furniture makers and seller hosted their customers to a night of fun. This experience however was for just 100 lucky shoppers in their store. Not only was it a success, most customers want a repeat of the event and this sees more people shopping at Ikea.
Care of the environment
Some business activities involved in the production of goods and services might be harmful to the environment. In a bid to make the earth last longer, customers are forcing businesses to look for sustainable ways to produce their goods and products. Most of this business ensure that they communicate to their customers about this development through e.g. tags to show the products are eco-friendly etc.
No cheap labor
Remember the controversy that trailed Nike when it was discovered they used child labor in Mexico for the production of their footwear? There was a huge public outcry in the marketplace for people to boycott Nike. This shows the direction which customers are heading. As much as they want good, affordable products, they will not buy it if certain social stigmas are attached to it. It was found out that the cost of a pair of Nike shoes could not be afforded by the workers which were employed to make them. The use of child labor was discontinued by the factory in Mexico.
Freebies
This particular trend has been around for a while be it is still one of the ways online shopping is been reshaped. In previous times, you could have been given a small gift in appreciation of making a purchase with the company but currently organizations go as far as offering you a buy one, get one free of the exact product which you buy. Giving of freebies is a trend which has come to stay.
Virtual Reality
This is the future of online shopping. Some major stores have incorporated this into the shopping experience of their customers. Some clothing stores now offer you the ability through the use of virtual reality to try on clothes, see as the fit before making a purchase. You can even shop on some online stores without the use of your PC or your phone. All you use is a VR headset and you can walk down aisles, have product ingredient content shown to you, while you select the items you want into your cart. You could even go so far as to pay with your card information, all without moving from a spot or using your hands, physically.
The world of online shopping has moved into the future. No more are the tradition methods of shopping enough to satisfy the needs of the customer. Now, businesses have to focus on experiences which have a high memorable impact on the minds of customers and keeps your brand foremost in their minds. VR, which is the where the world is heading currently, is also the most anticipated technological move which shoppers are looking forward to from businesses.
