E-commerce is evolving at a tremendous pace. Consumers now move seamlessly between social networks, e-commerce sites, and physical stores.
In this first episode of a series dedicated to the transformation of Search into a true driver of Product Discovery through Composable Commerce, we explore the trends reshaping the shopping experience.
On the agenda: omnichannel retailing and its key role in boosting performance, with a spotlight on Brico Dépôt as a concrete example of how a well-orchestrated strategy , combined with a powerful search engine, can transform the customer experience and drive growth.
30% of French people will have made a purchase on a social network by 2023[1]. Social commerce has become an essential sales channel that now reaches all generations. Instagram and TikTok are no longer reserved for Generation Z (16-26 year olds). They have become essential discovery and purchase channels, offering brands a great opportunity to connect with their audience in a more authentic and engaging way.
Social Commerce is just one example of the relentless diversification of sales and customer interaction channels. Omnichannel has become the norm, and consumers now expect a seamless experience across all of these channels.
And it's not just digital channels: 52% of French people do their daily shopping both in-store and online. And nearly two-thirds use their smartphones to have their purchases delivered[2]. Quick commerce and the pedestrian drive are trends that emerged during the pandemic and have become part of consumers' daily lives. What's more, the physical store has become a place where customers can see, touch and try products before finalizing their purchase, often on the online site.
This multiplicity of touch points makes the task more complex for retailers, but it also presents a tremendous opportunity to build customer loyalty. The key to success is to integrate all these channels into a unified customer experience. Today's consumers do not want to encounter barriers between channels. They expect continuity and a personalized experience throughout the entire customer journey.
For example, a customer who starts their journey on social networks expects to easily find the products they have seen when they visit the brand's e-commerce site, with personalized recommendations based on their previous interactions. When they decide to visit the store, they want to be able to access their purchase history or items stored in their online account to help them make their decision.
Modern retailing therefore requires intelligent orchestration of the various points of contact to meet the expectations of today's consumers.
Brico Dépôt has a large network of physical stores, each offering a unique range of products. Brico Dépôt is firmly committed to Click & Collect. In addition to the importance of conversion on the website, it is crucial to offer each visitor a localized online experience when they identify themselves in a store.
Brico Dépôt had been using the same e-commerce platform for many years and was content with a native solution that no longer met the company's ambitions in terms of user experience and performance.
In order to give its platform a commercial boost, while at the same time giving the business team more flexibility, Brico Dépôt decided to replace its search engine and chose Sensefuel after an A/B test.
The Sensefuel search aligns perfectly with Brico Dépôt's strategy, which focuses on being close to its customers. Thanks to the ease with which Sensefuel can be integrated, the range of products available at the points of sale is managed natively, making it possible to meet the expectations of customers searching in the context of a depot.
[1]comarketing-news.fr
[2]content.communication-budget-box.com
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