Daily Archives: December 2, 2021

The New Era of Hybrid Shopping

The New Era of Hybrid Shopping.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted shopping behaviors from physical stores to digital shops. During the new normal, people are fusing in-store and online shopping experiences. The result is a new era of hybrid shopping!

A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong poses a question if brands are prepared to deliver in the new era of hybrid shopping. It means having a lot of touchpoints both offline and online. Brick-and-mortar shops are back to operations. Digital shops are now exploring live shopping. 

WHAT IS HYBRID SHOPPING?

Hybrid shopping means the best of in-store and online buying to create a convenient and customized shopping experience. Think of your shopping habits. You are browsing on Instagram and saw a shirt you want to try on. You check for the nearest location of the physical store, visit the store, and eventually make a purchase. 

By personalizing the buying journey, a social media agency Hong Kong highlights that hybrid conversion can boost conversion and engagement on brands and businesses. So, they need to invest in integrating their online and physical stores.

BOPIS is becoming a popular hybrid shopping trend. It is an abbreviation for Buy Online, Pick up In-Store. It starts with a shopper browsing a brand or business website for products and services. They choose the items that they want to buy online and check out with a preferred pick-up location. Store associates will pull the in-stock items either in-store, on another branch, or at the warehouse. Once the items are ready, the customer can pick the orders in a dedicated area.

WHERE DO MODERN CONSUMERS PREFER TO SHOP?

Recently, Meta (formerly Facebook) conducted a study about retail shopping behaviors. Here, they have concluded that modern shoppers are trying to experience the best of both worlds. It means that omnichannel marketing is no longer about having different social media pages or online apps and websites. Rather, brands and businesses are starting to merge with physical shops. 

41% of global shoppers prefer hybrid shopping. Here’s a breakdown of the top 11 regions:

  • Mexico – 52%
  • Thailand = 49%
  • United States = 44%
  • Germany = 44%
  • United Kingdom = 43%
  • Australia = 42%
  • Brazil = 41%
  • Canada = 37%
  • Slovakia = 35%
  • France = 34%
  • Japan = 29%

From these data, Meta experts have formulated some keys to a better shopping experience. 

KEYS TO A BETTER HYBRID SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Enhance Digital Shops

Modern consumers are looking for digital solutions to solve their frustrations when shopping in physical stores. The inconvenience of carrying bulky and heavy shopping bags prompted them to order online with the convenience of getting them delivered right to their doorsteps. 

Hybrid shopping results in online being an appealing destination to find products. They are convenient and easier to navigate. A video marketing agency Hong Kong scales short video clips as a way to promote products online. With 66.3% of shoppers researching for products and services on the web before buying it, they are an effective way to highlight its features and functions. 

Hybrid shopping makes social media a source of interconnectivity among marketing channels. It helped them make informed decisions. Recommendations from Facebook groups, family members, and friends can answer the needs of a shopper. That is why 60% of modern consumers use social media across all markets to find products and services. 84% of them made an in-store purchase after discovering items on social media.  

Make In-Store Shopping More Efficient

In the new era of hybrid shopping, brands and businesses should use technology to make in-store shopping more efficient. Mobile app navigation and online payment processing can boost in-store sales. 

One of the most common pain points in in-store shopping is not finding the right color or size of merchandise. With online inventory being synced to different physical stores, hybrid shoppers can be directed to the nearest store where their color and size are available. 

Modern consumers are also looking for instant solutions. By syncing online checkouts and in-store deliveries, they can receive the goods in under 10 minutes. It makes hybrid shopping more convenient and fulfilling on the side of the customers. 

USE AR and VR to Enhance Immersion

Modern consumers still want a human touch during the buying experience. So, brands and businesses can use AR or VR o enhance an immersive buying experience. Hybrid shopping no longer needs to go to a physical store to try-on apparel, beauty products, fashion accessories, etc. They can even do a test drive for a car virtually.

The conventional wisdom of eCommerce makes it possible for shoppers to feel as if they are physically present in-store to try out new products and offerings. Today, one-third of shoppers are using augmented reality to experience products. 

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/the-next-era-of-hybrid-shopping-au