17
The Critical Consumer 2024
As we covered earlier this year in our Digital-First Retail Report in partnership with
World Retail Congress (WRC), consumers now expect a personalised experience.
A personalised and frictionless experience at every touchpoint in the omnichannel
shopping journey is critical to satisfy consumer needs. An easy-to-navigate website
and app are crucial, and by leveraging user data, savvy companies can serve
customers the most relevant content, promoting engagement and extending retention.
User-generated content such as reviews, ratings, and photos also help personalise
online shopping journeys.
Despite the prevalence of online shopping, personal interaction remains an important
source of inspiration for EMEA consumers - nearly two-thirds prefer personal contact
with in-store assistants. This mirrors similar findings from our US Holiday Outlook
Survey, where 41% of respondents plan to ask store employees for advice, information,
or recommendations.
We also see from our study that older and lower-income consumers display a stronger
affinity for in-store help: .
• Fewer than 60% of shoppers under 35 prefer engaging with in-store assistants, but
more than 75% of shoppers aged 55 and older do.
• By country, French consumers most prefer personal contact with in-store assistants at
72%, followed by Swiss and Emirati shoppers at 70% and 69% respectively.
CUSTOMER
PERSONALISATION
AND LOYALTY4 IN-DEPTH INSIGHTS
Which statement applies more to you?
IN-STORE ENGAGEMENT ACROSS MARKETS
I prefer personal contact with store assistants I prefer not to engage with store assistants
France
72.63% 27.37%
Germany
68.64% 31.36%
Italy
68.15% 31.85%
Saudi Arabia
63.22% 36.78%
Switzerland
30.43%
69.57%
UK
60.45% 39.55%
UAE
69.03% 30.97%