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The Post-COVID Consumer: The Future of Brick and Mortar Stores
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In the post-COVID world, stores that don't support
curbside pickup and alternative buying options will still be
competitive. According to our consumer survey, 7 out of 10
Americans miss the physical shopping experience. And 8 out
of 10 say that while they like online shopping, nothing will
totally replace going into a store, and there still needs to be a
brick and mortar store experience.
But stores that don't support these hybrid buying options
will often miss out on the growing segment of consumers
who have developed a strong affinity for them. It's an
emerging preference that a percentage of people will
prioritize, but it won't always overrule other circumstances,
such as your location, inventory, price, and service.
For consumers who continue seeking out curbside pickup,
they'll experience greater satisfaction and have stronger
loyalty toward the stores that execute it well.
According to our research, two-thirds of consumers say
retailers need to do a better job changing the format of
their stores to facilitate pickup options, and 7 out of 10 say
chain restaurants need more space for pickup.
Businesses will continue to innovate in this area, competing
to offer greater choice through features like allowing
customers to choose a preferred pickup date and time or
designate an alternate pickup person.
But the pandemic didn't just accelerate the rate at which
consumers adopted new buying methods. Consumers are
also buying entirely new product categories online—at a rate
that would've been unthinkable pre-COVID.
