5 Retail Trends Impacting Customer Behaviour

We live in extraordinary times. While conventional wisdom pointed to a significant economic recovery after the challenges of the pandemic, a different picture has emerged as we look to the Autumn. The cost of living crisis is impacting everyone and has dramatically impacted the willingness of consumers to engage in discretionary spending.

Recent events have proved that markets can shift in an instant, and reacting to these effectively can be the difference between keeping or losing customer loyalty. It means working harder than ever to understand the trends that are impacting behavior. But after the horrors of lockdown, retailers with the right smart strategies can emerge from this bumpy road back to a more normal trading environment.

It is key to utilise opportunities across store and ecommerce to ensure your offering is ahead of the game as we look forward to the golden quarter. So what are we seeing that is worth consideration? I think there are five key trends impacting behaviour in the second half of the year.

1. The Inflation Era Shows No Sign Of Abating

We are living in an era with the highest level of inflation since the 1970s. This has been driven by pent-up consumer demand after the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the most recent BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index data, shop prices hit their highest point of inflation since 2008 as the balancing act between supply chain costs and a cost conscious consumer continues. For July, Shop price inflation soared by 4.4%, up from 3.1% in June,

Consumer concerns regarding the cost of living cannot go ignored by retailers and brands. Intelligent pricing strategies are a key priority, as well as ensuring your customer journey is quality enough to capture a consumer willing to shop around.

To read the full article by Rupert Cook – Marketing Director Gekko Group, please visit Talk Retail

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