Today, no matter how big or small your omnichannel retail business, your customers will interact through different doors and in different combinations.
Research has shown that the omnichannel shopper is, on average, 2.3X more valuable than the single-channel shopper.1
We needed to experience what it is really like as a demanding customer in today’s omnichannel world, so we created Jane.
Jane became a customer at 71 retailers from
6 countries. She shopped at some of Northern Europe’s leading retailers.
Jane visited the websites of each retailer on her mobile. She bought products and items from each shop online, picking them up in-store and eventually returning them.2
To assess her experiences, Google
and Pattern looked out for 5 key customer experience (CX) principles.
The winners in each category were as follows:
Most flexible experience was Matas, a health and beauty retailer in Denmark, for offering premium ordering, delivery, and returns.
Most informative experience was outdoor retailer A.S.Adventure, thanks to helpful on- and offline guidance throughout the purchase journey.
Most personalised experience was sports retailer Decathlon, with their tailored content and offers based on customer preferences.
Most unified experience was homeware retailer IKEA, as they seamlessly connected user experiences across all channels and touchpoints.
Most convenient experience was the consumer electronics retailer NetOnNet, who offered solutions for all shopping challenges, regardless of channel.
Northern European retailers are doing well with:
1. Click & Collect is a given
2. In-store availability is shown online
3. Seamless in-store returns
4. Gift and loyalty cards are omnichannel
But retailers could do better by:
1. Optimising their Google Business Profile
2. Promoting offline activities online
3. Using more in-store technology
4. Better customer service
With all CX principles considered, the overall winners across the Nordics & Benelux regions are:
Third place goes to IKEA, who excelled at unifying their online and offline channels.
Shared 2nd place goes to Bever, A.S.Adventure, and NetOnNet. All provided clear information across the shopping journey, removing any barriers to purchase.
First place goes to Decathlon. Their holistic approach to omnichannel across all CX principles ensures a smooth and personalised customer experience.