The Multi-Channel Retailing report analyzes the factors that are contributing to make online product research a vital driver of offline retail sales.
Any retailer who isn't using the online channel to promote offline sales—as well as online sales—is missing a huge opportunity.
In 2007, eMarketer estimated that store sales influenced by online research totaled $471 billion. Comparatively, retail e-commerce sales were $136 billion.
Another way to look at it is that for every $1 in online sales, the Internet influenced $3.45 of store sales.
From 2007 to 2012, Web-influenced store sales are forecast to grow at a 19% average annual rate, compared with a 12% rate for retail e-commerce.
US Web-Influenced Retail Store Sales vs. Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2007 & 2012 (billions and CAGR-)
Key questions the “Multi-Channel Retailing” report answers:
- How do consumers shop across retailers' stores, Web sites and catalogs?
- How do e-commerce sales compare with store sales that are influenced by online product research?
- What do consumers expect from multi-channel retailers?
- How effective are retailers in living up to these expectations?
- And many others…
Today, online consumers think nothing of shopping across a retailer's stores, Web site and catalog. As a consequence, online product research is actually driving more land-store sales than online sales.