44% in-store purchases projected for 2025: Salesforce

This trend is fuelled by a shift towards newer digital channels like social media and voice assistants. Remarkably, the share of shoppers buying on social media has quadrupled in two years, with 59 per cent now completing transactions there, up from 15 per cent in 2021. Additionally, purchases over messaging apps such as WeChat and Facebook Messenger have surged by 227 per cent, with 36 per cent of shoppers buying in this manner, according to the fifth edition of the Connected Shoppers Report by Salesforce.

The concept of ‘shopping at the edge’ is becoming prevalent, where shopping journeys increasingly begin and even conclude outside of traditional retail spaces. Social media has become a major starting point for consumers, with 50 per cent discovering new products there.

Digital technology is also enhancing in-store experiences. Sixty per cent of shoppers utilise mobile devices in stores for tasks like research, price comparison, scanning QR codes, or checkout with scan-and-go. Retail associates also use mobile devices to assist customers with queries.

Generative AI is emerging as a game-changer. Seventeen per cent of shoppers have used it for product inspiration, and 92 per cent of retailers are investing in AI to improve experiences. Fifty-nine per cent of retailers are utilising generative AI for in-store recommendations, while 55 per cent are exploring or employing it to create conversational digital assistants online.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (NB)