You've invested in digital retail features. Do your customers even know? Those benefits may go unrealized if consumers don't know what's available.
In an accelerating eCommerce world, consumers have a heightened interest in digital features that enhance the retail experience by:
- Delivering greater value
- Making shopping more convenient
- Providing them more control over their shopping experience
However, while brands say they offer wide-ranging digital features, many consumers seem unaware that those features are available to them. We call this disconnect between merchant and consumer perception the feature-availability gap.
These are among the findings of the PYMNTS Global Digital Shopping Index reports, developed in collaboration with Cybersource, and based on four regional surveys. The reports tell a similar story across the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Brazil. Most retailers say they offer nearly all of the approximately 30 digital features examined in the shopping index reports. But rarely do more than half of consumers surveyed think those features are available to them.
Consumer awareness lags
In all regions surveyed, there are notable gaps in the case of 'protect me' features such as dispute resolution, refunds for fraudulent purchases, and live help. Of course, lack of awareness of these features could be down to the fact that consumers only become aware of them when there's a problem to address.
| Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | US | UK | Australia | Brazil | |
| Dispute resolution | Businesses offer | 95 percent | 78 percent | 85 percent | 79 percent |
| Consumers aware | 54 percent | 50 percent | 48 percent | 53 percent | |
| Fraud refunds | Businesses offer | 80 percent | 81 percent | 83 percent | 80 percent |
| Consumers aware | 53 percent | 42 percent | 43 percent | 53 percent | |
| Live help | Businesses offer | 75 percent | 72 percent | 75 percent | 77 percent |
| Consumers aware | 54 percent | 44 percent | 42 percent | 51 percent | |
Source: The Global Digital Shopping Index reports, Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020
Even when it comes to the digital features consumers love best, and would choose to use more often—those that make shopping more convenient or provide more value—gaps still exist. Rewards are a case in point. They're one of the features most used by consumers in the U.S., the U.K. , Australia, and Brazil. But there's still a gap between merchant-reported availability and consumer awareness.
| Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | US | UK | Australia | Brazil | |
| Inventory checking | Businesses offer | 68 percent | 69 percent | 70 percent | 54 percent |
| Consumers aware | 48 percent | 35 percent | 36 percent | 44 percent | |
| Promo codes | Businesses offer | 58 percent | 65 percent | 65 percent | 60 percent |
| Consumers aware | 49 percent | 45 percent | 46 percent | 53 percent | |
| Rewards | Businesses offer | 59 percent | 57 percent | 70 percent | 61 percent |
| Consumers aware | 54 percent | 50 percent | 57 percent | 48 percent | |
Source: The Global Digital Shopping Index reports, Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020
Time to raise awareness of digital retail features?
Given the reported gaps in perception, it may be that merchants who invest in digital features need to work harder at helping their customers understand what features are available. Otherwise, customers in search of digital experiences they believe to be unavailable may vote with their fingertips, and go elsewhere to shop.
Strong digital strategies—supported by flexible, creative commerce solutions—can help merchants invest in the right digital features and ensure greater awareness among their customers.
Sources
- “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, U.S. Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, page 24.
- “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, U.K. Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, page 26.
- “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, Australia Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, page 18.
- “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, Brazil. Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, page 33.