The Power of Stores in the Digital Age

The age of immersive store design and powerful visual merchandising isn’t over yet. In fact, says a new report from A.T. Kearney, the international consulting firm, omnichanneling offers the creative arm of retail a whole new opportunity to reach the consumer and define the brand.

“The future of retail is solidly anchored in the brick-and-mortar channel,” according to the firm’s report on its Omnichannel Shopping Preferences study.

“The store plays a crucial role in online purchases, as two-thirds of customers purchasing online use a physical store before or after the transaction,” according to the study, a survey of more than 2500 U.S. shoppers. “The store makes a significant contribution to converting the sale, even though the transaction is eventually registered online.”

“It’s important to acknowledge that shoppers actually find physical stores appealing,” says the report. “Stores provide consumers with a sensory experience that allows them to touch and feel the products, immerse in brand experiences and engage with sales associates.”

The real challenge is to unify the brand story between the shopper’s experience in-store and her experience online, says Mike Moriarty, Chicago-based partner in Kearney’s retail practice and one of the authors of the report.

“The consumer doesn’t think of it as different channels,” he says, “she thinks of it all as one, coming from the same source.”

However, says Moriarty, “the site should contain the same excitement as the in-store experience. That’s very important, because even at home, if the shopper is not excited, she’ll begin to search another purveyor that can deliver the same items, and maybe cheaper.”

And, says Moriarty, that’s the opportunity for today’s designers and visual merchandisers: to translate their creativity and understanding of the customer mentality into an integrated experience, both in-store and online.

To review the full report, go to atkearney.com.