research

Forrester: Cross-Channel Sales To Reach $1.8 Trillion

As consumers become increasingly adept with their smartphones, physical retailers can expect to reap big gains. A new report from Forrester says that cross-channel retail sales in the U.S. are on track to reach $1.4 trillion this year, and predicts they will rise to $1.8 trillion by 2018.

These sales -- which it defines as transactions that are touched by any digital medium but not completed through the Internet -- are the result of people “preshopping” more frequently, and on more devices. Digital’s influence is so strong that these sales are now four times larger than online sales.

“We expect that online sales in the same time frame will reach $294 billion,” writes Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. “Together, online and cross-channel sales represent what Forrester calls web-impacted retail, which now comprises the majority (52%) of the entire retail pie. By 2018, we expect web-impacted retail to account for 59% of all retail sales.”

advertisement

advertisement

Of course, she notes, there is still tremendous variety by category. For example, in purchases like food and furniture, people are more likely to do extensive research online, “yet still want to touch and feel products before buying them.”

The average ratio of web-influenced offline sales to online-only sales is 5 to 1, the report says. Groceries have a 19 to 1 ratio, and event tickets, which typically require less research, has a ratio of only 9 to 10.

Retailers like Target and Walgreens have benefitted from investments in “supporting the in-store or “preshop” experience on mobile devices,” she writes, noting that 68% of online adults use their smartphones to check the Internet while they are in stores. Transactions on those phones, however, are still unusual: Although 48% of smartphone owners use their devices to shop, only 24% of them actually buy via phone.

The upshot for retail brands, she writes, is to continue to step up omnichannel effort. “At the moment, omnichannel primarily means inventory efficiency — having a real-time, accurate portrait of inventory across channels with the  ability to enable shoppers to buy in any channel and when it’s most convenient. Generally, that means investments in endless-aisle efforts, ship-from-store initiatives, and in-store pickup options.”

Still, that isn’t the end of the story, and inventory synchronization is just the beginning. “Efforts such as providing mobile-enabled points of sale,” she adds, “enabling store associates to send and receive text messages, and allowing remote customer service are revolutionary ways for retailers to support customers while also coping with higher cost structures, such as higher minimum wages.”

1 comment about "Forrester: Cross-Channel Sales To Reach $1.8 Trillion".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Krillion by Local from Local Corporation, July 30, 2014 at 7:51 p.m.

    Hi Sarah. Those are huge figures that will only keep growing. Because the smartphone is a dynamic cross-channel tool and its usage is evolving, it’s important for retailers to advance their omnichannel efforts to keep up. It’s true that web-impacted retail still depends on the particular product or service. Our own research indicates that shoppers gravitate to channels based on their perceived strengths, with 72% of shoppers going to a store to get the best fit because sizing is difficult to gauge online. Our research also supported the “preshopping” trend, with 72% saying they research online most of the time but often follow up with store visits. Meanwhile, 67% will check to see if the store has inventory before many of their shopping trips.

Next story loading loading..