May 9, 2008

How Consumers Actually Shop For Retail Products Across Channels

by Sucharita Mulpuru

with Carrie Johnson, Peter Hult

Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

While cross-channel shopping is expected to top $1 trillion by 2012, less is known about specific consumer behavior that drives customers across channels. In a recent Forrester consumer survey, we found that for considered purchases where shoppers research products first, more than half of consumers begin their research process online. Those consumers who begin their research process online are also more likely to ultimately purchase products through the online channel. Although consumers are actively cross-channel shopping for their considered purchases, retailers fail to create a seamless multichannel shopping experience. To meet the multichannel imperative, retailers should conduct frequent cross-channel reviews and competitive site assessments, educate customers with comprehensive product detail pages, and ensure that product promotions are consistent across channels.

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