61% of global shoppers to retailers: ‘All I want for Christmas is seamless communication across sales channels’

Here’s the thing:

Global agency VML released its annual Future Shopper survey, a vast exploration of the habits and online shopping trends of consumers across 20 countries. This year’s report features a consistent theme throughout: shoppers want more innovation from their retail experiences.

Marketers can deliver on this shopper preference by keeping a sharp focus on consumer engagement. For starters, 61% of shoppers surveyed want seamless communication across sales channels, and they want their journey to feel cohesive at every turn. That number represents an increase from 2023, when 56% of respondents shared that same preference.

Data debrief:

Packed with insight from 31,500 residents from Thailand, Brazil, Colombia, India, France, Italy, the U.S. and more, the report offers retailers and brands a revealing lens into the modern customer journey.

A subset of the findings indicate that people want more memorable connections from their online and in-store shopping experiences.

For instance, 64% of respondents say they would prefer to shop at a retailer or brand that has both a physical and online store vs 60% in 2023. Meanwhile, 60% of people surveyed agree they want their physical shopping experience to be immersive, futuristic and creative; just as 64% of shoppers in the survey prefer brands and retailers make the online shopping experience more entertaining. Shoppers also indicate they’re looking for maximum efficiency this year, as 63% say they want to move from inspiration to purchase as quickly as possible.

Additionally, according to the report, 36% of all online spending is done via mobile phones and 53% of shoppers prefer to use their mobile phone when making purchases, even though 40% in the survey say they find shopping on mobile phones “difficult.”

With technology providing consumers the ability to transverse shopping journeys in unprecedented ways, it’s no wonder expectations for friction-free intersections are rising.

Why it matters:

If the Future Shopper survey is any indication, retailers that lean into customer preferences for more dynamic and engaging shopping experiences this holiday shopping season are poised to win brand loyalty all year round.

“We know that 63% of how a person feels about a brand is how they experience it, so brands need to reassess how and where their equity is now being built — and that means across all channels,” says Naomi Troni, VML global chief marketing officer. “Welcome to the new era of brand building.”