Shopping habits are becoming the new norm. Retailers are switching to hybrid shopping solutions and artificial intelligence technologies to meet changing consumer behaviors.
The pandemic did not just change the nature of work with the hybrid working model. It has also changed the way consumers shop, according to new research by IBM and the National Retail Federation.
More than 19,000 new global research titled “ Consumers want everything ” has been published. Almost all of the studies suggested that the shopping habits that consumers acquired out of necessity and have now become routine continue after the pandemic. The results of the research revealed that hybrid shopping, which brings together physical and digital channels in shopping journeys, is on the rise as an effect of the pandemic.
Analysis of Hybrid Shopping Survey Data
Almost three-quarters (72%) of respondents said they use retail stores as all or part of their primary method of purchase. Among the reasons for visiting a store, touch and feeling (50%) is the most important factor before purchasing the products. Other factors include picking and choosing their own products (47%) and receiving products immediately (43%).
However, 27 per cent of respondents said hybrid shopping is their preferred method, with part of their shopping journey taking place online and the other half in a retail store. When it comes to the generation most likely to be a ‘ hybrid shopper ‘, Gen Z is at the forefront.
Increasing Importance of Sustainability
The adoption of hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence and other technologies have allowed retailers to create hybrid shopping experiences. At the same time, IBM ‘s new study also revealed that people need to keep sustainability in mind in order to maintain and grow their client base.
Purposeful consumers, who choose products and brands based on their own values, such as sustainability, are now the largest consumer segment surveyed, according to the study. At the same time, 62 per cent of respondents are willing to change their purchasing habits to reduce environmental impact, up from 57 per cent two years ago.