Omnishopping. Omni-what? Yes, it’s a thing. Omnishopping is actually more prevalent than you might think, and has been happening for quite some time now. What exactly is it? According to Criteo, a global commerce marketing company, Omnishoppers are shoppers who use a variety of devices, channels, and platforms to browse and buy products.
How Do You Know If Your Customers Are Omnishoppers? It’s actually very easy to determine if they are Omnishoppers. Here’s how: If you have customers, you have Omnishoppers. Criteo recently completed a study of 10,000 shoppers and found that 75% of all shoppers engage in online to offline (Webrooming) and offline to online (Showrooming) shopping. In other words, most of today’s shoppers browse products online and then buy them in a brick and mortar store, or they browse products in-store and then buy them online.
What Should Retailers Do To Optimize Webrooming Sales? Webroomers love to browse – online. They will scout out the products they want/need, and then head to a store to buy. In order for you to make the most of your Webroomers, you need to make sure your e-commerce site is optimized for browsing online. Criteo’s study revealed that 48% of Webroomers say appealing photos are very important to them when browsing online. This means you should make sure your product photos are up-to-date, clear, and that they match the products that can be found in your store. Other factors that Webroomers felt were important are product reviews organized by category, and discounts offered and clearly stated (and also offered in-store). If your e-commerce website doesn’t live up to their expectations, Webroomers will move on to your competition and then head to the competition to shop.
What Should Retailers Do To Optimize Showrooming Sales? Showroomers love to see and feel the products they are shopping for. They will browse products in-store and then head home to shop online, or some will actually order the products on a mobile device while in the store. Optimizing Showroomer sales is somewhat the same as optimizing for Webroomers. Make sure products on your shelves are attractively displayed, and that they are also available on your e-commerce website. Do a daily check of your store to see that all products are neatly displayed and that there is no excess clutter, and ensure that re-shop items out of their display area are placed back where they should be. 
Keep your restrooms and your floors clean also – the more comfortable shoppers are in your store, the better. Prices should be clearly displayed for all products, and should not differ from online prices, unless you are offering a discount for shopping online. All of these things will also make it easy and convenient for Showroomers to go ahead and pick up the products they intended to order online in-store, thus minimizing the chance that they will buy from the competition or not buy at all, and will also encourage impulse buying. According to Criteo, 81% of home-goods shoppers say they frequently make impulse purchases in-store, as opposed to 62% who say they frequently make impulse purchases online. Takeaway – make that store shine!
Keeping your store and e-commerce site in tip-top shape is extremely important to maximize the impact of Omnishoppers. It can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but if you think about it, it all comes down to regular maintenance and care for your storefront as well as your e-commerce site. Pay attention to the ways your customers shop, and optimize accordingly!
