At the same time, new technologies are being developed to provide us consumers with a better online shopping experience, and designers have more tools than ever to explore what it is like to upgrade online, and these changes are likely to shape the future of e-commerce. The shopping experience during the Coronavirus pandemic will transform the physical store of the future as consumers become more accustomed to personalization, recharge functions at physical points, close the gap between online and in-store experiences and turn to virtual shopping. Data-driven marketing and unique shopping experiences are becoming reality.

Future trends in retail will lead stores to follow the example of Starbucks and Nike and play three roles. According to Kanaiya Parekh, a retail expert at Bain Company, these are transaction hubs for immediate consumption, showrooms for brand communication, and e-commerce fulfillment points. The trend towards hyper-personalisation will result in more retailers offering their services digitally to meet rising customer expectations.

These two solutions are examples of new approaches that combine digital and real-world interactions, and provide additional opportunities to improve the customer experience that retailers will need in the near future. Data-driven return-to-store shopping is another approach you can pursue with your marketing efforts. Both in-store and digital shopping experiences need to connect in a way that provides customers with the seamless shopping experience they prefer.