Amazon sets the standard for retailers in offering a tailored experience, according to a study which claims 82% of UK consumers said no company offers the same levels of web-personalisation.
The research, conducted by RedShift Research for BloomReach, highlights the growing technology gap between the retailing giant and the rest of the e-commerce market.
It also exposes a major disconnect between consumers and marketers over what is more important when shopping online. Some 34% of retailers said they thought brand reputation was the most crucial factor when consumers choose a retailer and just 2% thought that personalised shopping experience was an important factor.
However, 31% of consumers said they would be more likely to make purchases if they were offered personalised experiences, such as product recommendations or tailored content, and 85% said brand reputation was unimportant.
Meanwhile 59% of consumers believe that online experiences are more unique to their needs; however, 80% of retail marketers disagreed with this, saying that online could not offer a more personal experience.
Raj De Datta, co-founder and chief executive of BloomReach said: “There is clearly a gap between what UK consumers are looking for in an online experience and what UK retail brands think consumers are looking for. Amazon has raised the bar in customer experience and the challenge is for retailers across the world to try to match that.
“The good news is that consumers are more open to competitor brands, placing little value in brand reputation but a lot of importance in the experience. Marketers need to recognise that brand reputation is not as important as they think it is and more on improving customer experience.”
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