Webrooming Vs Showrooming: Our new report
Two words have entered the lexicon of eCommerce, and both are viewed rather negatively: “showrooming” and “webrooming”.The two phenomena above have been studied by PushON in our special report, Webrooming v Showrooming, but what are they?
What is Showrooming?
Have you ever looked at a product in a shop, asked for a demonstration from the knowledgeable staff member, who has weighed up its pros and cons against other products … then gone home and ordered the item online? Congratulations. You’re a showroomer.
From the customer’s perspective it makes sense. You get a proper hands-on demo, but then you get to find the best deal, which is a doddle online. But from the retailer’s perspective, it’s a lose-lose. They’ve paid for that stock and the premises and the helpful member of staff – but have seen zero return from their investment.
And while showroomers might feel smug about their process, in the long-term it’s an unsustainable technique if they drive the brick-and-mortar retailers out of business.
Download our Webrooming Vs Showrooming Report
Read our special report which delves into two customer habits that affect retail and eCommerce
Download our Webrooming Vs Showrooming Report
Read our special report which delves into two customer habits that affect retail and eCommerce
What is Webrooming?
So you’re searching for a camera, reading online reviews, checking out the various deals the retailers have, and have come to a decision about which one you want. You put on your hat and coat and head off to the retail park, where you buy it from a shop you recognise. You just webroomed.
But while the overheads for an ecommerce operation might not be as high as those of a physical retailer, there’s still a cost, especially if they’ve paid for ads to get you to their websites. The online retailers are effectively acting as sales staff for someone else’s benefit.
Our Study
The two phenomena above have been studied by PushON in our special report, Webrooming v Showrooming, which uses data from our survey plus information gleaned from our own clients to shine a light on the two customer habits and how they are affecting retail. You can download the report here.
By asking customers for their own takes on showrooming and webrooming, and drilling down to the factors that inspire their decisions, we have uncovered a much more complex picture than might previously have been imagined.
We discovered that the price of the product plays a big part in people’s online/offline purchase choice. In general, the higher the price, the less likely they are to buy it online.
Similarly, there’s a correlation between income and likelihood of shopping in-store. Richer folk like that personal touch, whereas those lower down the socioeconomic scale are more concerned with the price. Is your retail offering set up to satisfy those needs?
The report looks at these effects and many more, including consumers’ views on technology such as augmented reality, which can blur the boundaries between a simple online experience and immersing oneself in a product.
Omnichannel is your friend
If there’s an overarching finding, however, it’s that as a retailer you probably need to be working harder to treat your online/offline retail channels as a single funnel if you’re to maintain the attention of those fickle customers. It’s not enough to accept your place in the arrangement and hope you pickup the odd passing webroomer or showroomer. You need to be able to convince those researching customers who are visiting your space that sticking with you for the entire transaction is the smart thing to do. Intelligent pricing, complementary deals, after-sales service, reputation and reviews can all be worked on to make the case that you’re the one.
For years, marketers have been telling you to give as much information as possible for customers to do their research. But the days of being a passive provider of usable information while other retailers mop up the profits are over. You’ve worked hard enough simply to get a potential customer to walk into your shop or visit your website. Armed with the bigger picture, you should be better placed to convert them into paying customers.
Download our Webrooming Vs Showrooming Report
Read our special report which delves into two customer habits that affect retail and eCommerce
Looking for an Adobe Commerce agency to support your store?
Contact us on 0161 820 7628 or email us today
Related Articles
The future of eCommerce in construction
For years, the construction supply sector has relied on face-to-face interactions and traditional retail to do business. But as digital transformation accelerates across industries, builders’ merchants and construction suppliers face a stark reality: If they don’t...
The PushON Spring 2025 eCommerce Brunch
The second-best thing we are brilliant at is lunch. We’re flipping amazing at lunch, or in this case brunch. We like to stay close to the market, to understand what is genuinely moving the needle and so we create a relaxed atmosphere with stand out peers and speakers...
10 Unforgettable SEO Tips for eCommerce Websites
We’ve compiled 10 SEO tips for eCommerce websites that we must never lose sight of! Sometimes, the basics are all you need to equip yourself. Introduction eCommerce is competitive – especially in organic search. The search landscape is ever-evolving, and we marketers...