Citi Retail Publishes Study on Holiday Shopping Trends
Citi Retail Services has announced the results of its third-annual nationwide study on evolving consumer shopping trends during the holiday season. The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that 73 percent of respondents plan on visiting a brick-and-mortar store to purchase holiday gifts, 57 percent plan to use their computers, 42 percent plan to use their mobile devices, and 13 percent plan to use their virtual assistants (e.g., Alexa or Siri).
“What we’re seeing is that technology is altogether reshaping the holiday shopping season,” says Leslie McNamara, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Workforce Development at Citi Retail Services. “Consumers are turning to connected devices to purchase gifts in droves, and for retailers, this means rethinking their marketing strategy to encompass a robust strategy—including voice technology—to reach consumers in their evolving channel of choice and ensure a seamless shopping experience.”
CFI Group and Radial Report on Customer Expectations
A CFI Group and Radial survey of 500 online shoppers shows that shoppers want to buy from an online retailer that will support them. According to the survey, 84 percent of respondents say their experience with a superior online retailer elevates their expectations for all other retailer’s performances. These same respondents say the central element of a superior retail experience is the feeling that the retailer is looking out for the customer’s best interests.
“Customers expect retailers to protect them from any unexpected or unreasonable issues that may occur,” says Sheri Petras, CEO of CFI Group. “They expect a smooth process with flexible options. Best-in-class retailers are meeting these expectations and continue to make improvements that raise the performance bar across the industry.”
The report also identifies three ways retailers can meet customer expectations and demonstrate a customer-first attitude. These include making loyalty programs more competitive, balancing fraud protection with non-invasive data collection, and providing multiple return options.