I did my Christmas shopping online in 2020, and in the best timing I have ever known; it took me two hours. I made my purchases and had everything delivered within a week. All the presents were wrapped and under the tree by the second week in December when usually, I am still surrounded by wrapping paper and bows on Christmas Eve. I loved the efficiency of it all, and if it hadn’t been for one thing, I would have vowed to make this the new normal. I missed the Christmas joy you get when everyone is out and about, in and out of shops when the music is playing. Despite everyone having a different agenda, there is an obvious cause for why we are all there. Christmas shopping is a tradition for many people, but it is about more than the actual buying of presents. Shops create a special multi-sensory experience that online can’t hope to deliver; and whilst the efficiency is great, sometimes I want more, and this is why I will always revisit shops to meet my retail expectations.
Decision Making
Don’t get me wrong, there are some things I want to buy where online is the only option as far as I am concerned. These tend to be the things I need to research before I make my buying decision, like the pressure washer I purchased recently. I wanted to make sure that I bought a machine that was ideally placed to complete the projects I had on my list. I didn’t want something that was under spec’d and failed to clean the paths and patios, but equally, I didn’t want a ‘super-charged turbo-nutter’ machine that was so powerful it knocked my house down. With the help of Google, I was able to identify a washer that I thought was right for me, and then I was able to get my decision ratified by the opinion of 1,345 people who had written a review. In addition, I was directed to the best deal price and offered next day delivery; an ideal shopping experience which met my retail expectations.
I am currently in the market for some new headphones and so far, I have followed the online path on the basis that I need to research before I buy. I have got down to a shortlist of 2 possible products but despite reading many different reviews, both tech specialist and customer opinion, my final decision will rest on a visit to the shops. The reason is that unlike the pressure washer, buying headphones is a personal thing; comfort and sound quality are subjective and whilst there are lots of points of view, I don’t know these people, and the experience they get, may be very different from what I want. It’s like Marmite, you don’t know whether you are a ‘lover or a hater’ until you’ve tasted it yourself. So, I will very soon be heading off into town, furnished with my online research to sound test my shortlist. The question then begs will I make my purchase from a shop, or will I jump on my phone and order online?
Omnichannel Retailing
One thing that irritates me about shopping is when I am offered ‘an online deal’ which is better than I would get instore. Why is this the case? If Omnichannel retailing is all about seamlessness across channels, surely price points should be the same. The other annoyance is when I am told “we haven’t got it instore, but you can buy it online”, surely in this day and age, making stock available to willing customers, regardless of their location, is an underpinning factor of good customer service, as are accurate stock records and good product knowledge. I closed my first paragraph by saying that I will always go to shops, but I should have added the caveat ‘but only the ones that provide the customer experience I am looking for and meet my retail expectations’.
What does Brand Loyalty mean to me?
Brand loyalty is important to me across many different sectors, but I am not sure how loyal I am to retailers anymore. As a comparison, I support Notts County; over the seasons results have been indifferent at best, and many of our performances have left me wondering what sport we are trying to play. Despite this, I buy a new season ticket every year and go to as many games as possible. If I can’t get to the game I listen to the match on the radio. So, despite the experience I am given, I’m loyal, and I will remain loyal my whole life. But when it comes to retailers, a couple of bad experiences and I vow never to return, and unlike the times I say this when I leave the football ground after a 0-4 home defeat, I actually mean it. You see some businesses provide something unique that customers can engage with, whilst others sell products or services for which there is always an alternative.
Generation X
When Lucy Heard asked me to write an article about my shopping preferences as part of her series on generational shopping habits, I was delighted to be reminded that I’m Generation X. When I was growing up, Generation X were a punk band from London and whilst I categorised myself as a ‘punk’ they weren’t one of my favourites; I was into The Clash, The Ruts and Stiff Little Fingers. What’s this got to do with shopping, you may be asking? Well not much, but what it does show is that just because you group someone into a category, it is very dangerous to make assumptions about their likes and dislikes. Whilst I am aware that some of my shopping traits show characteristics of the generational group known as Generation X, I am aware that my Amazon shopping history would tell a different story. Different people with different lifestyles, interests and hobbies have different retail expectations. Yes, I research some of the things I buy, but I am more likely to make a random purchase than not, on the whim of an idea. For me, the ideal shopping experience is something that is tuned into exactly what I want at a given moment in time, based upon the many dynamic and contrasting variables that come into play which set our mood and retail expectations. Some may say that this is an unachievable objective for retailers, but technology is doing a lot to move brands in this direction and overtime I am sure it will be possible.