The future of U.K. shopping
and how retailers can adapt.

Animation showing a person interacting with a virtual reality shopping experience.

Animation showing a person interacting with a virtual reality shopping experience.

The tumult of the last few years has created 3 fundamental shifts in consumer behaviour.
Find out what they are and how retailers can adapt, according to marketing thought leader Seth Godin and Cate Trotter, founder and head of trends at Insider Trends.

Animation showing a phone with a product being added to a basket, with three icons next to it displaying internet, search and network.

Animation showing a phone with a product being added to a basket, with three icons next to it displaying internet, search and network.

Find out what they are and how retailers can adapt, according to marketing thought leader Seth Godin and Cate Trotter, founder and head of trends at Insider Trends.

Animation showing Seth Godin's and Cate Trotter's pictures.

Animation showing Seth Godin's and Cate Trotter's pictures.

Trend #1
Browse, discover, buy

Animation showing an eye with a search icon, a heart with a plus sign and a credit card being swiped in a reader.

Animation showing an eye with a search icon, a heart with a plus sign and a credit card being swiped in a reader.

Consumers are window shopping online more and more.
They’re not only searching for specific items by a particular brand, but also seeing what’s available more widely.

Animation showing browser windows with bags displayed in them, with rotating internet icon underneath.

Animation showing browser windows with bags displayed in them, with rotating internet icon underneath.

Search field with "best couch".
Search field with "dewy foundation".
Picture of a couch.
Picture of a couch.
Picture of a foundation.
Picture of a foundation.
Picture of a foundation.
Picture of a foundation.
Generic queries like
are growing faster than branded queries.1

Animated arrow going upwards.

Animated arrow going upwards.

Picture of a pair of green sandals.
Picture of a person wearing a blue dress.
Picture of a fascinator.
Search field with "green sandals".
Search field with "cobalt blue dress".
Search field with "pink fascinator".
There’s been a 40% increase in searches for clothes in specific colours.2
Noted marketer, Seth Godin, believes that online window shopping is both a risk and an opportunity for retailers.

A clip from an interview with Seth Godin.

A clip from an interview with Seth Godin.

What consumers have been taught Over the last ten years but especially the last two Is that everything is a click away. And that's good news because it means that everyone can click over to you But it's bad news because it means all the customers you're counting on can also click right over to your competitors. You've gotta build a window worth looking at.

Images, videos, and shopping ads displayed on Google Search, all help build a 360° degree view of products.
Just like in a bricks-and-mortar store, consumers want to inspect what they buy.
There’s been a more than 40% increase in search interest on YouTube for terms containing “review”.3

Animation showing a browser window with a image of a person reviewing cosmetics, a search field with "review", five stars and the Youtube logo..

Animation showing a browser window with a image of a person reviewing cosmetics, a search field with "review", five stars and the Youtube logo..

88% of shoppers agree YouTube makes it easier to decide what to buy.4
62% of consumers who use the Google Search shopping tab use it to compare similar products from different retailers.5

Data visualisation for Google Search.

Data visualisation for Google Search.

Data visualisation for YouTube.

Data visualisation for YouTube.

Trend #2
More choice, more fickle shoppers

Animation showing different types of shoes.

Animation showing different types of shoes.

Icon of a price tag.
The number of fashion shoppers who tried a new brand jumped from 24% in 2020, to 34% in 2021, and is now at 51%.6
With consumers spending more time window shopping online, they’re tempted by new brands more often.
Fashion shoppers
who try new brands

Data visualisation for fashion shoppers who try new brands.

Data visualisation for fashion shoppers who try new brands.

Icon of a price tag.
Icon of a shop.
The online environment is also facilitating more brand trials than in store.7
New retailers
New brands

Data visualisation for new brands.

Data visualisation for new brands.

Data visualisation for new retailers.

Data visualisation for new retailers.

Godin believes that retailers are approaching this challenge in two different ways.

Some are trying to be everything to everyone. However, the ones that will be most successful take a different approach.

A clip from an interview with Seth Godin.

A clip from an interview with Seth Godin.

We're trying to be Everything to everyone. But there's a whole other group of marketers That are paying attention to idiosyncrasy: To be unique, to be worth seeking out. Their brand loyalty isn't going down, Their brand loyalty is going up.

Trend #3
Omnichannel is the new standard.

Animation showing icons of a brick and mortar store and the internet.

Animation showing icons of a brick and mortar store and the internet.

Annotation: Orange data points - Online, Beige data points - In-store.
Consumers are now more likely to turn to the internet than a few years ago to do their shopping research.8
More shopping was done online during the pandemic and that shift changed how people behave today.

Data visualisation for online and in-store shopping research.

Data visualisation for online and in-store shopping research.

Annotation: Orange data points - Better online, Beige data points - Better in-store.
Consumers increasingly believe that online shopping beats in-store visits.9
Over the last few years, retailers have been striving to improve their online experiences, and it’s working.

Data visualisation for online and in-store shopping experience.

Data visualisation for online and in-store shopping experience.

As a result, omnichannel shopping is more widespread than ever.
Even when visiting the high street, consumers are searching online ahead of visits.

Animation showing a phone with a shopping app being interacted with, a physical store appearing in the background.

Animation showing a phone with a shopping app being interacted with, a physical store appearing in the background.

of retail consumers say they browse online most or every time they purchase in store.10
Did you know?
30%
of retail consumers say they go into a store most or every time they purchase online.10
24%
Search field with "24hr supermarket near me".
Once they’ve narrowed down their options with online research, consumers are using the internet again to find out where to go.11
+950%

Animation visualising data with pins falling on a map.

Animation visualising data with pins falling on a map.

According to retail expert Cate Trotter, omnichannel success is the result of designing online and offline channels that work together.

A clip from an interview with Cate Trotter.

A clip from an interview with Cate Trotter.

We see a lot of retailers Who think about their flagship store But actually don't think about how the flagship can Link in with the app or mobile And how the mobile can then Enhance or personalise the high street Or the mall store experience.

Creating worthy (online) windows

Animation showing online windows with handbags displayed in them.

Animation showing online windows with handbags displayed in them.

According to retail expert Cate Trotter, omnichannel success is the result of designing online and offline channels that work together.

A clip from an interview with Cate Trotter.

A clip from an interview with Cate Trotter.

Some of the businesses that are growing the fastest Have been the ones who have focused on the functional. Some grocery stores have made their spaces more experiential But others have just focused on opening larger numbers of smaller stores And those are the ones who have really grown.

Explore the latest retail trends and insights to keep up with changing consumer behaviours.
Project Lead: Robert Rushing

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