72% Indians frightened about shopping in-store amid Covid: Report

Despite the unabated rise of e-commerce and the fear to physically shop, 72 per cent of Indians are most frightened about shopping in-store as compared with their global counterparts in the wake of Covid-19, a new report showed on Wednesday.

Consumers on the whole are demanding integrated omni-channel offerings from retailers and brands.

While 86 per cent of Indian shoppers think that retailers need to get better at giving them products, services and experience that they want from online shopping, 67 per cent of Indian consumers refuse to shop with anyone who does not meet their demands, according to ‘Future Shopper Report 2021' by global communications firm Wunderman Thompson Commerce.

"eCommerce can no longer be treated as the supplementary sales channel. Global shoppers have clearly stated that, in the future, it will be their primary channel for retail purchasing," said Hugh Fletcher, Global Head of Consultancy and Innovation at Wunderman Thompson Commerce.

For some organisations, and particularly marketplaces, they are reaping the rewards of investing in a strong online presence, "while the news has been littered with stories of businesses who have not identified these changing demands going bust," Fletcher said in a statement.

Two-thirds (64 per cent) of global shoppers say that they prefer to shop with brands that have both an online and offline presence, while 59 per cent of consumers said they wished brands would communicate seamlessly with them across all channels, digital and physical.