Australian consumers are changing their buying behaviour and are increasingly adopting multichannel as their favoured way of engaging with brands and products.
According to a Australian Centre for Retail Studies (ACRS) report called Multichannel and Social Media: The State of Play in 2011, retailers that interact with consumers across multiple channels and platforms will be rewarded. The research indicates that multichannel shoppers will spend between three and six times more that store only shoppers.
The survey also shows that 58% of Australians are now using multichannel to buy their products, a growth from the 49% registered in 2010, with 48% of Australians buying products online at least once a month and with 7% buying online once every week.
“Today’s consumer wants greater choice, and this also means a greater choice of way to access and engage with a brand or retail environment,” said Nick Spooner, CEO Salmat Digital.
“This latest ACRS research reveals that by providing choice, multichannel retailers are being rewarded with more long-term, profitable customers, as consumers engaged across multiple channels shop more frequently, spend more and display greater loyalty,” he added.
According to the ACRS report, behind this growth in multichannel buying is the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, such as the iPad. The preferred ways of communication between retailers and Australian consumers are email (55%), social media (22%) and iPhone apps (14%).
Multichannel is also expected to continue to grow in the future because it is a shopping behaviour usually adopted by younger shoppers, shows the report.
“The ACRS findings further demonstrate the importance of a multichannel strategies,” stated Nick Spooner.
Photo by avlxyz
