Australian shoppers want gamification in their retail experiences.
Consumers want to be entertained – they expect the brands they do business with to keep up with their lives, and the appeal of interactive experiences has cemented itself into the world of retail.
Shopping is now an omnichannel, 24-hour-a-day experience that spans mobile, SMS, in-app purchases, social media channels, and digital wallets and in a 2022 survey of more than 1,502 Australian shoppers, the research report highlights the importance of engaging shopping experiences – and believes that ‘online shopper’ may soon become a redundant term, as almost all consumers are shopping on the Internet.
The report found, “Australian shoppers are now looking for brands and retailers to take their e-commerce experiences to the next level with rewards programs, gamification, and AR and VR, and – eventually – opportunities in the metaverse”.
The research found that Sixty-eight per cent of respondents would enjoy gaming elements while shopping online, 37 per cent are interested in gaming while in-store and 36 per cent are up for trying games in their favourite apps. Increased engagement leads to higher sales.
The main reasons retailers should consider gaming as part of a data acquisition strategy:
• Collect valuable customer data.
• Enhance brand awareness and reputation.
• Increase customer engagement.
• Increase sales and revenue.
“With consumers more willing than ever to gamify their shopping experiences, brands need to look beyond the need to convince their prospective customers to just buy something. Shoppers today are happy to be entertained, nudged, challenged, and engaged beyond a product transaction,” said Kate Musgrove, MD at Bazaarvoice at Asia Pacific.