In December 2013, Eccomplished sent a team of researchers into the heart of London’s shopping district. Their primary goal – to place themselves in the mind of the shopper and evaluate how good retailers in the world’s shopping capital are at delivering an omnichannel experience.

Over 40 leading retailers were visited and assessed against a set of key criteria designed to explore the use of digital technology and it’s impact on the customer journey, from Wi-Fi provision and performance to digital media interactivity. We also collect anecdotal feedback from customers in-store.

This new research report is set against a back drop of recognition that today’s omnichannel customer moves seamlessly between online and physical retail and that physical retailers must find ways of connecting those dots through interactive digital media and mobile communication and support.

Highlights

Sponsored by BoscaBox and Donky, the research report reveals that whilst some retailers are making some good ground, a gap still exists between what customers ‘expect’ versus what is actually delivered.

• Wi-Fi provision is generally not available, or is poorly communicated.
• The mobile experience in-store is not generally supported or leveraged
• Digital media in-store is generally static and brand awareness centred rather than interactive or providing customer value
• Few retailers are using the opportunity of digital and mobile technology to drive footfall
• The in-store digital experience was generally rated as ‘below average’.

The report also reveals a lot about the customer attitude to digital and mobile technology whilst in-store. In particular:

• They dislike digital media when it carries no value
• They get excited at the prospect of what could be possible
• They want to share their in-store experiences online
• They have an appetite for digital done well

The full report, ‘Digital Retail in London: How the world’s shopping capital is using mobile and digital experiences to engage customers in-store’ was launched on Wednesday 12^th February at FutuRetail 2014 and is available for download here.