The way of buying is changing. Nowadays, consumers have modified their purchasing habits: they no longer simply go to the nearest store but also to the nearest digital device. This is what we can determine from the information recently published by Nielsen. They also explain that according to digital marketing analytics, online retail sales will double between 2015 and 2019 and will account for more than 12% of global sales by 2019.
The experience at the point of sale is also undergoing changes. Current consumers now increasingly add the digital experience to their purchasing process by using, for example, their smartphone as their personal assistant in the shop. Consumers have become multichannel users and switch from online to offline mode without difficulty. In fact, both online and offline modes are complementary, and all channels are connected and interrelated in what is known as an “omnichannel” experience.
The increasing use of technology and infrastructure improvements bring more consumers online. Familiarity and comfort when using digital platforms have improved and led to the constant growth of connected commerce.
In the case of online shopping for beauty and personal care products, Nielsen published a graph which shows that 54% of users sought information on products, 44% checked and compared prices, 35% searched for deals, promotions or coupons, 9% clicked an email advertisement to find out more, 7% subscribed to product and store emails, and 7% liked, tweeted or commented on a product or a store on social networks.