More often, consumers research products online before going to the store to make the final purchase – this practice is also referred to as webrooming. They want to be informed on product information, reviews and availability before visiting the store. With a growing demand for an informative and streamlined shopping experience, Forrester Research predicts webrooming will result in $1.8 trillion in sales by 2017.
In order to use webrooming to their advantage, outdoor manufacturers and retailers must first understand how their customers shop, interact and educate themselves in-store, and then replicate that experience on the website. Some outdoor companies have successfully created a comprehensive shopping experience online by introducing such tools as side-by-side product comparisons, product reviews and recommendations, inventory transparency and expanding their product categories beyond gender to technical feature, benefit, activity and by fit. Overall, companies need to focus on how they can help customers find the most suitable products as they research online.
Here is a slideshow on how outdoor companies have added website features to support outdoor enthusiasts’ shopping behaviors:
