A New Report By Google Unpacks Where Retail Is Going

The way people shop has been forever shifted by the past 16+ months of pandemic living. Customers’ comfort levels, expectations, desire for convenience, and shifting needs are the fodder for a complex retail landscape. A new report by Google explores a few fascinating behavioral changes that are foundational to retail’s future.

• Shopping habits will remain unpredictable. People are in the habit of reacting to all manners of change in their environments and lifestyles. Each day, 15% of Google’s search queries reflect a brand new social trend or appetite. The unexpected has become native.
• Browsing and shopping online are both practical and inspiring. People want to be helped, enriched, or taught something by retailers they enjoy. Brands should serve up fresh, new ideas as part of their content marketing offering to give customers deeper, more meaningful material. 
• Make it convenient or don’t make it at all. New shopping methods cropped up during the pandemic to make life easier and safer for people stuck at home. This expectation is now engrained in customers’ desires.
• People want great value for their money. Spending money has a more significant consequence on the heels of a massive global crisis, and people will keep on watching their expenses more closely than in prior times. Plus, people want their purchases to align with their values. 

 For further inspiration on online trends, have a look at ASTRALCOM’s thought leadership. We publish helpful whitepapers to unpack the complexity around digital marketing across industries.