Vendors may yearn for the days when they could largely predict where their customers were coming from and could depend on their loyalty based on convenience or quality. However, the simple, linear patterns of the past have vanished. Consumers now have brands and retailers at their fingertips. Furthermore, digital shopping involves navigating a web of connections that can present new ideas, suggestions, and recommendations at any moment, leading consumers in completely new directions. These kinds of non-linear, non-repeating shopping journeys are challenging to predict. Customers who deliberately seek out experimentation and novelty are even more demanding.

A key finding from our Future Shopper survey revealed that 60% of consumers desire brands and retailers to enhance both online and offline experiences, making them more entertaining. In other words, this is what we refer to as “Creative Commerce”. It embodies a spirit of experimentation and adventure in shopping on a grand scale.

To meet this demand, brands must think outside the box. Incorporating creativity into shopping journeys necessitates rewriting the rules of discovery, substituting the obvious with the surprising. Gamification plays a part, as does reimagining relationships with ‘non-commerce’ channels such as entertainment and media.

So what?

In today’s commercial landscape, power rests with consumers. Businesses that recognise this shift and adapt will be better positioned to succeed in the increasingly competitive retail environment. Solutions involve leveraging data analytics for insights into customer behaviour, investing in innovative technologies to enhance the shopping experience, or developing unique marketing strategies that highlight the distinct advantages of choosing their brand.

J.J. Thompson