In recent years, the accelerated digitization, driven by technological advances and social changes, changed the way people relate to brands and products. Logo, our behavior as consumers has undergone an unprecedented transformation. Easy access to information combined with the instant possibility of online shopping and the multiplicity of channels have made the consumption process much more dynamic and demanding. In this new scenario, just offering a quality product or service is no longer enough, making the experience, together with the buying journey, as the true competitive differential.
The growth of e-commerce and the adoption of subscription services are reflections of this new reality. The expectation and demand from the public regarding convenience and speed has never been higher. A good proof of this is the fact that today's consumer no longer differentiates between digital and physical. He wants an integrated experience, fluid and personalized on any channel. According to data from Salesforce, 75% of customers expect consistency in the buying journey, regardless of the point of contact. This means, for example, that brands need to go beyond selling and seek to build smarter and more strategic connections, be it by whatever path.
That's why, omnichannel has ceased to be a trend and has become a necessity. Companies that fail to provide a cohesive and seamless journey between physical stores, sites, apps and social networks are losing ground to more prepared competitors. Furthermore, automation and immediate responsiveness end up being essential to ensure agile and frictionless interactions, also increasing loyalty. The proof of this is that 73% of consumers consider the experience a decisive factor for continuing to buy from a brand, according to Forbes.
The experience economy has also transformed retail, with people seeking more and more memorable interactions, aligned with their values. A survey by PwC reveals that 86% of consumers stated they are willing to pay more for a superior shopping experience. Competitive differentiation today often relies more on personalization and efficient service itself than on comparing product quality.
Personalization is another critical point. Brands that understand their customers' preferences and offer tailored interactions can increase their revenues by 6% to 10%, according to studies by BCG. Thanks to the increasingly evident advancement of artificial intelligence, the lack of data can no longer serve as an excuse. The difference lies in the intelligent use of this information, as well as in the ability to translate them into efficient strategies, capable of impacting the right audience, at the right moment and with the correct narrative.
A more recent topic, but no less important, it is the social impact, environmental and in brand governance – better known as ESG. Brands that do not convey such values in their discourse and attitudes are being sidelined in favor of those who do their homework and present it attractively. Remembering that it's not enough to just focus on positioning or catchy phrases, but in this case, practice counts much more for a brand to be effectively seen as socially and environmentally responsible.
It is evident that commerce is undergoing significant changes, in which the emphasis on customer experience is gaining more and more relevance. Brands that invest in innovations such as multichannel offerings and communication, just as ESG initiatives begin to build stronger long-term relationships with customers. So much so that it is possible to say that retail today is at a crossroads where: either it reinvents itself or its market share is likely to decrease.
