Retailers need new perspective on stores

Multi-channel operations will be the driving force behind growth in the UK retail sector in the next few years as stores become less a sales space and more a billboard for the brand, showroom for products or collection/drop off points for online orders according to Ian Geddes, UK Head of Retail at Deloitte.

The report suggests that retailers report higher online sales in areas they have a physical store and that multi-channel shoppers spend more money per transaction that either store or online only shoppers.

Almost half (44%) of store purchases between September and November last year were digitally influenced, either directly online, or through multi-channel touch points, while 21% of online purchases are influenced by stores.

The research by Deloitte also found that pure-play retailers that don’t have their own stores are benefiting from a sales bump as consumers use rivals’ high street stores to research products before buying online.