Report: Retail is in flux

It has been found that proof of delivery solutions can help retailers meet customer expectations. The following article reveals the findings of a recent study that analyzes why shoppers tend to leave stores and how these can influence later decisions, ultimately leading to the retailer losing the customer to a competitor.

A white paper on customer experience within the apparel store environment reveals why shoppers switch stores and the impact big box and fast fashion brands are having on the traditional department retail store.

The paper is based on in-store experiences of 1,500 shoppers across 90 top apparel stores and was conducted by CB4. It ranks apparel sellers on winning, converting and satisfying shoppers, according to a press release.

Key findings include:

• 82% report having left an apparel store without purchasing what they came for. When this happens, 23.4% head to a competitor, while only 15% order the item online for delivery with the same retailer.
• The stores that lose out on the most sales due to in-store obstacles are luxury department stores. The stores least likely to miss sales opportunities are digital native stores.
• Stores whose customers report the best overall in-store experiences are bridge apparel stores (ex: Loft, NY & Co.). The stores with customers who report the worst overall experiences are fast fashion stores.
• The most shop-able stores are specialty size stores (ex: Lane Bryant, Catherine's), and the least shop-able stores are digital native stores.
• Customers report the most in-store obstacles to purchasing footwear, followed by pants, tees/polos, jeans, and shorts in descending order.

"Traditional apparel is in flux, as long-standing verticals like department stores are upended by big box stores and fast fashion brands," said Matthew McAlister, director of marketing at CB4, in the release. "Apparel retailers can use this survey to understand what's most important to shoppers and whether their stores are providing what shoppers want."

This article was from Retail Customer Experience. News Features and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.