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Tewksbury, MA—The digital revolution has altered consumers’ shopping behavior in many more ways than just having the ability to compare prices. Consumers today demand products and services anywhere and everywhere, instantly. But what hasn’t changed is their basic need for help and guidance in making a selection or decision.

A recent white paper by digital retail systems provider TimeTrade, says that companies—like car service Uber and others—that provide this service are setting the bar of expectation very high by providing what once would have been a luxury level of service at an affordable price in real time.

A recent TimeTrade survey of more than 5,000 consumers asked, “What do you value most when shopping in a retail store?” 54% said, “prompt service,” followed by 30% who valued “a personalized experience” most and, lastly, 16% who valued “smart recommendations.”

Futurist Robert Scoble of Rackspace said in the paper that because of mobile phones, we have an ability to create new marketplaces, and that what consumers can do with the device in their hands is changing how we do things both at work and outside of it, and it’s completely different than things were 10 years ago.

As companies like Uber continue to shape consumer expectation and raise the bar, older and larger organizations will have to adapt to the concierge-like model or risk losing out to players who are willing to continually adapt to consumers’ ever-changing service needs.

But to Millennial and Gen-Z consumers (Gen Z being the next cohort after Millennials), service is the price of entry, not a distinguishing feature. When asked why they like services like Uber, 52% cited convenience first, but 49% cited its lower cost than traditional car services.

To read a summary of the white paper, click here.

Top image: anotheruconcierge.com