New Partnerships Alongside Rise Of Webrooming Signal Shift In Consumer Behavior
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Omni-channel Initiatives Winning War Against Showrooming
IDC analyst Robert Parker predicted that retail must reinvent itself by 2017 to become, “omnichannel leaders that reach for customer relationship, relevancy, and reciprocity." Retail’s efforts at reinvention are starting to produce measurable results. While showrooming remains problem for most brick-and-mortar stores, webrooming is new to the scene. Webrooming, or browsing online and buying in-store, is on the rise and according to an Accenture study, 88% of consumers are engaging in it. This new trend indicates that omni-channel initiatives, such as same-day pickup and seamless shopping experiences, are paying off for the brick-and-mortar. New partnerships and channels established between e-tailers and retailers reflect this new shift in consumer behavior.
ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin indicated that while foot traffic is down at retail stores, sales are up as a result of webrooming. A strong example of this shift in consumer shopping behavior is evidenced by Nordstrom’s new partnership with startup jewelry e-tailer BaubleBar. The upscale retailer has opened 35 BaubleBar pop-up style shops in 35 of its department stores; BaubleBar jewelry will also be available through Nordstrom’s online channel. BaubleBar cofounder Daniella Yacovosbky commented, “We have found that as the brand grows, and our customer base grows, she increasingly wants to interact with us across multiple channels since each has pros and cons from a shopper’s perspective.” Anthropologie also created a partnership with BaubleBar, offering a monthly collection of fresh looks available for purchase in Anthropologie’s brick-and-mortar stores as well as through its online channel.
Offering customers the products they want, where and however they want them, is the path to strengthening customer relevancy, relationships, and reciprocity. As brick-and-mortar retailers continue to break down the barriers by designing seamless shopping experiences for their customers, it seems that online retailers are following their lead. In a much larger move this week, Chinese e-retailer Alibaba purchased a 35 percent, or $692 million, share in grocery and department store operator Intime Retail Group. The purchase is a step toward bringing Alibaba into the brick and mortar to significantly expand its reach; Alibaba plans to sell its products in Intime’s stores and to sell Intime’s stores online. With omni-channel retailing, the gap between online and in-store continues to be bridged.