• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 24, 2024

Email is rated as the highest revenue-generating channel, followed by referrals, according to Quantifying Today’s Shopper (Netcore’s 2024 North American Consumer Benchmark Report). 

But while 62% of consumers will spend more this year, 75% agree that brands are over-messaging.

In terms of popularity, the channels stack up as follows:

• Promotional emails — 40%
• Word of mouth — 28%
• Digital ads — 18%
• Social channels — 14%
• Promotional SMS — 13%
• WhatsApp instant messaging — 6%

But there is room for improvement across these channels:

• Website — 40%
• Mobile app — 35%
• Email — 33%
• The search bar on website/app — 26%
• Online ads — 22%
• SMS — 12%
• WhatsApp, iMessage, messenger and other messaging apps — 11%

Of the shoppers polled, 63% are willing to share personal data for a quality shopping experience. The remainder are not. 

How do they define quality shopping experiences? They cite:

• Social discounts/offers — 47%
• Loyalty programs —45%
• Transparency around information use — 31%
• Special giveaways and contests — 25%
• I don’t want to share any more information — 22%
• More personalized shopping experience — 21%

Still, 85% will dump a brand for a competitor because of unpleasant experiences. Among these are:

• Irrelevant recommendations — 38%
• Irrelevant offers and discounts —28%
• Difficulty finding the products I want — 26%
• The website search doesn't function properly — 22%
• The store lacks a good mobile experience —v18%
• The website experience is poor — 17%
• Other — 15%

Despite the above, the keys to driving competitive advantage include:

• Low shipping costs — 64%
• A good rewards and loyalty program — 57%
• Frequency of offers and discounts — 54%
• East of discovery of products on website/app — 43%
• Reviews, ratings, and other evidence — 36%
• Personalized shopping experience — 28%
• Transparency around information use — 26%
• Lack of invasive promotional ads — 24%
• Social giveaways and contests — 22%

Netcore surveyed over 2,000 North American consumers in Q3 2023.