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San Francisco, CA—COVID has certainly changed the shopping world, but consumers still like shopping in person. Those are the findings of The State of Consumer Behavior 2021 report from digital experience platform Raydiant. Image: Primary reasons why consumers prefer to shop in person. Chart, Raydiant.

COVID-19 or no COVID-19, lockdowns or no lockdowns, there will always be a large segment of shoppers who want to experience life beyond their computer screens. For others, the pandemic has altered their mindset, and retailers have to craft their in-store experience around those who are highly conscious of COVID. 

But the goal for retailers remains the same: Create an experience so memorable that a customer will put aside their concerns and shop. From the report, here are some of the reasons why consumers prefer shopping in person and what matters to them:

• The ability to view, touch, and interact with physical products (33%)
• The overall experience that a physical location provides (26%)
• The immediacy that in-location experiences provide, as opposed to waiting for delivery (13%)
• Availability and variety of product (33.1%)
• Quality of service from in-location staff (30.9%)
• The layout of a location and organization of products (13.9%)

• In-location experiences offer a form of community and connection that online experiences cannot.
• Clear health and safety protocols (15.2%)
• Efficiency of the checkout process (6.1%)
• Better customer service (13.8%)
• Exclusive products not available online (13.8%)
• 40% of consumers still are shopping in person less frequently since the pandemic hit, and 48% are more willing to buy a competitors’ product online.
• 90% of consumers say they are more likely to return, and about two thirds of consumers say they are likely to spend more on- or offline with a brand if they have a positive store experience.  
• By contrast, 60.3% of respondents said they have abandoned a brand after a bad offline experience.
• Bad news travels faster: 90% of consumers were either “very” or “somewhat” likely to tell others about a bad in-store customer experience.