Executive Summary

The customer experience (CX) landscape has changed dramatically over the last year as pandemic-induced lockdowns and social distancing pushed many consumers to try several technologies and experiences, such as click and collect, proximity payments, and augmented reality (AR).

Are pandemic-inspired ecommerce and retail experiences here to stay?

Most of these experiences aren’t going away, and even while some such as click and collect and mobile payments won’t sustain last year’s growth rates, they’ll grow nonetheless—implying consumers are satisfied enough to stick with them.

How are online and offline transactions becoming more frictionless?

In brick-and-mortar locations, proximity mobile payments are becoming a popular payment option. Additionally, more brands and retailers with ecommerce options are cutting down on friction by offering buy now, pay later (BNPL) options, guided selling, and more.

Why are marketers focused on first-party data?

With the pending cookiepocalypse—the death of the third-party cookie—brands and retailers are concerned about the accuracy of their ad retargeting and behavioral advertising. A first-party data strategy mitigates that and allows organizations to become more effective direct marketers.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report discusses some of the top CX developments in both online and offline retail, including first-party data, AR, contactless payments, click and collect, and frictionless checkout.

KEY STAT: Since the onset of the pandemic, advanced CX firms report seeing significant improvements in customer lifetime value (30% of respondents), customer advocacy (30%), and basket size (23%) as a result of investing in digital CX.