Today marks the first official day of the fall 2019 retail season, which means consumers are ready to turn over a new leaf when it comes to their shopping behaviors. Parcel Pending, the global leader of package delivery solutions, announced today their predictions for the top fall 2019 retail trends based on insights and research. From an increase in immersive customer experiences to the rise of BOPIS, the fall 2019 retail season is shaping up to be one to watch.
“The main focus in retail right now is providing premium, immersive customer experiences,” stated Cynthia Aadal, Vice President of Retail Strategy for Parcel Pending. “Retailers this fall will be investing heavily in BOPIS and digital technologies such as AR and AI to provide a unique customer experience – one that cuts through the clutter of the competitive retail landscape. We’ll see more malls morphing into entertainment centers and more consumers tapping BOPIS as their preferred shopping method as we move closer to the holiday gift-giving season.”
Ecommerce is growing at a staggering rate. According to Forrester, online sales will account for 17 percent of all U.S. retail sales by 2022. Additionally, online sales are projected to grow five times faster than offline sales. These figures should come as no surprise considering that 80 percent of Americans now shop online, and 62 percent of them make online purchases every week. However, the trend of consumers tapping BOPIS as their go-to shopping method is also on the rise.
Parcel Pending’s Predictions for Top fall 2019 Retail Trends:
- Retailers Laser-Focused on CX: this fall, we’ll see more and more retail stores laser-focused on providing an “immersive” customer experience (CX) by leveraging various technologies to attract consumers in-store and to boost purchases. We predict retailers will tap the power of AI, AR & digital strategies to promote shopping and engagement with consumers.
- DTC Moving into Physical Locations: there’s been a lot of movement within direct-to-consumer (DTC) or pure e-commerce companies moving from pop-up stores to brick and mortar locations. From Warby Parker to Bonobos, it seems the trend of DTC brands seeking an offline presence by opening physical retail stores is here to stay. DTC brands recognize the importance of a holistic multichannel consumer experience and many are planning to invest in this for the long-term. The reality is that a physical store provides for more consumer education and experiential retail while building trust. This all helps to drive purchases and loyalty for these DTC brands. One example is Le Tote, a DTC clothing subscription company that recently purchased Lord & Taylor for its real estate and to infuse its brand. We’ll start to see more of this during the fall season and into 2020. We’ll also see DTC companies that can’t commit to malls or physical locations start to tap BOPIL™ (Buy Online, Pick-Up in Locker) as a solution for “housing” merchandise for these DTCs.
- Malls Moving into “Entertainment Centers”: during the fall, we’ll start to see more and more malls morphing into ‘entertainment centers’. For example, Macerich Malls recently partnered with Industrious, a New York City-based coworking provider, to add flexible-office spaces into some of their malls. We’ll start to see more pop-ups in malls and more stores in these malls providing premium CX experiences especially as we approach the holiday shopping season.
- Boost in BOPIS: Today’s consumers are all about instant gratification. Over half – 61 percent – want their goods in their hands within one to three hours of placing an online order. Additionally, 80 percent of online shoppers expect to be able to pick up their items in under 10 minutes from the time they enter the store. Consumers want the goods they order online to be available immediately, and the pick-up process to be quick and easy. And with Amazon’s one-day delivery raising the bar, more retailers will invest in BOPIS this fall to compete. BOPIS offers a faster, safer and more convenient way for consumers to retrieve their online orders/goods. That said, Parcel Pending predicts that more retailers will invest in BOPIS and that more consumers – particularly millennials – will adopt BOPIS as their primary shopping method this fall. In fact, research shows that 50 percent of consumers have utilized BOPIS within the last 12-months and 90 percent of retailers plan to implement a BOPIS solution by 2021.
- Move over E-Commerce, It’s all about Mobile Commerce: It is so quick, easy and convenient for consumers to whip out their smartphones (or Apple Watches) to make a purchase. We’ll see more consumers doing so this fall as they prepare for their holiday gift-giving.
