Speed & Simplicity - The Key for Social Shoppers

Omnichannel retail strategies have been much on the thoughts of retailers over the last couple of years because of an increased focus on ‘social shopping’. Omnichannel strategies aim to create a seamless consumer experience across different platforms. One of the platforms that is being utilised more often is social media. Social shopping refers to consumers who use social media spaces to share coupons, reviews, purchases and more in order to help with their own and others’ future retail experiences.

Recent apps such as Like2Buy combine the huge popularity of social media with a purchase platform. Like2Buy is now incorporated with many companies’ Instagram accounts which allows users to click on a picture that they like which will take them immediately to the brand page for purchasing. With Instagram getting more than 75 million users daily, it could be a huge source of revenue. Getting a seamless transition from picture to buying is vital. Being on a social media site also allows consumers to see the popularity of the product. Instagram allows users to like pictures and seeing that a product is popular will go a long way for persuading a customer to buy.

This quick link between picture and purchase shows the drive to create faster links and an easier experience for consumers. Social shoppers are notoriously impatient; slow websites and longwinded routes to purchase often means a higher probability that the customer will click off site and may in the future go elsewhere.

A survey carried out by Compuware showed that social media shoppers are influenced greatly by the speed and efficiency of online retail platforms. Around a third of survey participants expect a retail website to load in two seconds when using tablets, 24% expected loading in one second and 13% expect loading in less than a second. Obviously there is quite a large dependency on how good of a signal there is but it also shows the fickle nature of social shoppers. These statistics show how important navigation of an online retail platform is. Allowing users to move easily and quickly throughout different areas of a site can go a long way to retail customers. 46% of customers are more likely to go to a competitor’s website if they have a bad experience on a website.

Catering to the needs of social shoppers and boosting omnichannel retail strategies could really help to boost retail sales. The majority of social shoppers are millennials between aged 18-24; this generation of consumers have grown up with the internet and expect more now from online retail. With the wealth of information available, online retailers should use this to their advantage and put social shopping as a priority for the future of their omnichannel retail strategies.

About the Author: Harry Kempe, a marketing intern at IIR USA, who works on various aspects of the industry including social media, marketing analysis and media. He is a recent graduate of Newcastle University who previously worked for EMAP Ltd. and WGSN as a marketing assistant on events such as the World Architecture Festival, World Retail Congress and Global Fashion Awards. He can be reached at hkempe@IIRUSA.com

Share this article with your social network, just click below to share now!

Share |

Why More Retailers are Attending APEX Than Ever

More Retailers are Attending All Payments Expo Than Ever

All Payments Expo was built for retailers to meet their peers and discuss the issues that matter most. Whether in sessions, private boardrooms or exclusive member-only association meetings, only All Payments Expo has built an experience catered for retailers' unique industry concerns and networking needs.

+20% More Retailers Registered for APEX 2015

+50% NEW Retailers Attending in 2015

With a retail attendee base spanning the IT, gift cards, corporate strategy, omnichannel and incentives functions, APEX is the best place to meet retailers and create new strategic relationships.

Want to see who is attending? Register now to get access to the full attendee list. Use the code XU2848BLOG to save $100!

Who you'll meet at APEX:

• Dominos • Gx • Kern • Harvard Card Systems • CPI Card Group • DineEquity • GiftCertificates.com • Maritz Motivation • Federal Bureau of Investigation • Progreso Financiero • Coin Capital Management • Amscot Financial • Ifeelgoods • Swift Prepaid Solutions Inc • ABNote • Discover • Dicks Sporting Goods • American Express • BitPay, Inc. • PULSE a Discover company • MasterCard Worldwide • Cadillac Fairview • OpenMarket • Cowen & Company • Regal Entertainment Group • EVO Payments International • Unidos Financial • SavedPlus • Mocapay • Skrill USA Inc • Store Financial • JIC • Group Voyagers Inc • Nike Inc • Buyatab • Rebellion Lab • EBG • The Cheesecake Factory •BP • Green Dot Corporation • Logbar Inc • RBC Financial Group • Locke Lord • OTI America Inc • Ethereum • AuthenticID • Pueblo Bank & Trust • Innovative Securities Ltd • Momentum Groups • TechCafe • Earls Rib Palace • Digital Currency Council • Metropolitan Commercial Bank • Banking Up • SpaFinder Wellness Inc • Systems & Methods Inc • Emerge Financial Wellness • Globoforce • Virtual Currency Systems • Yankee Candle Company • Aeropostale Inc • Aurora Financial Systems • BBVA Bancomer USA • Drizly • Delta Air Lines • Sunrise Banks • PSA • FreshPay • Overstock.Com • Oportun Inc • Choice Bank • Midco Connections • Stored Value Solutions • Walmart • Allergan • Compass Plus • Darden Restaurants • Landrys Inc • Webcash Co Ltd • Contact Solutions • InComm • Zihexin • Powerhouse Brands Consulting • WorldQuant • H E B Company • WaySpa • Kohls • Benefit Resource Inc • Whole Foods Market • IDT Finance • Google • Kahala Brands • Federal Reserve Bank of Boston • Galileo Processing • 1 to1 Card • Foot Locker • Cracker Barrel • Royal Performance Group • Lunex Telecom • Raise • Marketing Innovators • SVS • Hotels.com • IDology • RushCard • DataCo • Macys Inc • PSCU • MCX • Gift Card Network • Alta Produce • IMPACT Payments Recruiting • Sears Holding Company • Fiserv • Bank of America Merchant Services • @pay • Inmar CMS Promotions Services • Univision • Ingo Money Inc • Nordstrom • Wave Crest • PLS • Cardtronics • Meta Payment Systems • PayPay Financial • TeamBank • Ficentive • Card Compliant • SnipSnap • Buffalo Wild Wings • CardNotPresent.com • Jiffy Lube • The Manna Group • Vantiv • Hudson's Bay Company • Ceridian Stored Value Solutions • Perfect Plastic Printing • BitGo • PayTech Solutions • NoWait Inc • ARM Insight • Marqeta Inc • TAS Group USA • Coinsetter • GoBank • RK Incentives • Benefit Mobile Inc • Mercator Advisory Group • The Pay-O-Matic Corporation • Socure • AMC Theatres • US Bank • The Billing Project LLC • givex • Archway Marketing Services • Hyatt Hotels Corporation • H&R Block Bank • Academy Sports & Outdoors Ltd • Tally Capital • ACE Cash Express • National Gift Card • QVC • Verifone • Praxell Inc • Americhip • Travel Tags Inc • Currency Cloud • Neenah Paper • MT&L Card Products • Social Money • Bancorp Bank • ICON Capital Reserve SA • Multi Packaging Solutions • JCPenney Company Inc • Polaris Venture Partners • Wallaby Financial • Banesco Coral Way • Keefe, Bruyette & Woods • Plug N Play • Square • General Growth Properties Inc • Bass Pro Shops • Kount • GoCoin • Connexions Loyalty Inc • Corby & Company Inc • NexisCard • Bryan Cave LLP • E & S Consulting LLC • NBPCA • First Data • Spa Week Media Group • Target • Accion Venture Lab  • Cirque du Soleil • Elevate Credit • Chetu Inc • Enacomm • MetaBank • FSV Payment Systems • Xerox • Regions Bank • Toys R Us Inc • ID Analytics Inc • Mobetize Corp • Transaction Epins Limited • Transaction Wireless • Archway • CashStar • MintCombine • cadooz GmbH • Visa Inc • Datzing • InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions • CSP Business Media• Cuallix Financial Services • Prepaid Card Solutions • NetSpend Corporation • Bain Capital Ventures • Provident Payment Systems LLC • Best Buy • Geddes Group • Dorado Industries • Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP • Plum Voice • Princess Cruises • Schurman Retail Group (Papyrus) • MGM Resorts International • CFSI • Chase Paymentech • TodoTicket 2004 CA • Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta • Aimia • Jumio • Access Development • MBXP ApS • Social Learning & Payments Inc • Coinsultants • Nelnet • Sí Vale México S.A. de C.V. • Paybefore • Arroweye Solutions • Active International • Fandango/NBCU • Peoples Card Services • Kofax • Paywith • Bitcoin Strategy Group • Banesco • Sparkpr • WorldPay US • Speedway LLC • i2c Inc. • Bath & Body Works • Dravis Group • Libra • TouchPoint Promotions • Ebay • Xen Accounting Inc • Allpoint • Davis Polk & Wardwell • Walgreens • Scrip Pro • Paychex • Lands End Inc • Vera Bradley • TangoCard • Amazon Web Services • Sustainable Cards LLC • MHD Furniture • IPS Nevada • Speedy Cash Holdings Corp • Central Bank Of Kansas City • Boom Financial • Hallmark Retail Services Inc • Cachet Financial Services • The Jones Company/Flash Foods • R&P Group • Hotel Voucher Shop • Global Processing Services • MTACC Inc dba • ePayService • Republic Bank • Young America Corporation • Allstate Printing & Graphics • GCA Savvian • Women's Annex Foundation • GiftCards.com • LL Bean Inc • PBM • Brightwell Payments Inc • Home Depot • Blackhawk Network • TJX Incentive Sales Inc • USA800 • Farmacias Fybeca • Mobinil • FIS • Cabela's Incorporated • Sole Financial • GFC Good Finance Company • Billhighway • Red Robin Gourmet Burgers • Veratad Technologies LLC • Groupon Incorporated • BitCash Inc • SeaWorld • YellowPay • Strategic Counsel Corp • FirstView Financial LLC • Stanton Consultancy
 

 View the complete agenda here. 

Share this article with your social network, just click below to share now!

Share |

What’s on the Shopping List for Merchants this Holiday Season?

 [Book Meetings with Retail Attendees]  [Special Price for Retailers]

Retailers will be meeting with existing partners and potential vendors to vet the next generation of technologies they are looking to adopt. At APEX, you'll meet retailers and gain a better understanding of the challenges they are facing.

Hear Case Studies, Research and Insights from:

• Darden Restaurants
• The Jones Company/ Flash Foods
• Overstock.com   
• Hudson Bay Co.'s Lord & Taylor
• SeaWorld
• Sears Holdings Corporation
• Macys.com
• Cirque du Soleil    
• 1-800 FLOWERS
• Cabela's Inc.
• Schurman Retail Group (Papyrus)
• Kahala Brands (Cold Stone Creamery)
• Fandango
• Groupon    Domino's
• DineEquity - Applebee's & IHOP
• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
• Toys R Us
• Hyatt Incentive Rewards
• Landry's
• Home Depot

Download the agenda to see all session details.

Register for All Payments Expo 2015 by Friday 12/19 to save $300! Use the code: XU2848BLOG | Register here.

Share this article with your social network, just click below to share now!

Share |