Retail’s Great Balancing Act and Why Crowdsourcing is Key
Consumers want convenience, personalization and value — it’s what pushed the U.S. retail market to a record $5.13 trillion in 2023. As inflation subsides, what shoppers want and how they spend will keep playing a big role in how the market evolves. Retailers need to keep pace with a more connected, savvy and discerning customer base or risk falling behind the competition.
Brands can adapt to the new consumer mentality without undertaking massive, cost-prohibitive infrastructure overhauls. By understanding and catering to emerging demands through operational changes, retailers can drive loyalty and sales growth.
For example, Accenture reports that 41 percent of frequent technology users feel innovation complicates life as much as it simplifies it. Retailers must thoughtfully blend tech-fueled additions with familiar shopping experiences. Cramming automation into the process can make it feel less personalized and detract from the experience.
At the same time, consumers expect omnichannel distribution reach, with brands connecting across physical and digital touchpoints. The Strategic Advisor Board says it takes 12 touchpoints over a two-month span to convert the average customer from awareness to relevance.
Although inflation is waning, value is still a vital purchasing factor for consumers, particularly regarding shipping. According to First Insight, 40 percent of shoppers won’t pay $5 or more for shipping. Affordability while preserving profitability will separate retail winners from stragglers.
Retailers can respond without overextending resources by understanding key drivers of evolving consumer behaviors. Ultimately, brands that deliver flexibility, convenience and humanity in order fulfillment will thrive.
Adapting to New Consumer Expectations
The new blueprint for retailers is threading a tight needle of integrating digital innovations without making the shopping experience seem foreign. Finding the right balance will help attract a customer base that values modern technology’s efficiency and wants to keep the authenticity of human interaction.
Successful brands recognize the importance of omnichannel presence, ensuring consistency and accessibility across various platforms. This approach enhances the customer journey and builds a robust relationship grounded in trust and reliability. As retailers navigate these changes, the focus remains on providing solutions that resonate with the consumer’s evolving preferences — solutions that promise convenience, personalization and unmatched value.
Efforts to meet expectations can’t just stop when an order is delivered. The trust a brand builds with its customers extends to that crucial period of time when the consumer considers whether to keep or return the items they purchased. Online shoppers have come to expect the relaxed return policies popularized during the pandemic. Amazon.com is a prime example, making returns easier by broadening its network to UPS Stores, Locker stations, Whole Foods locations, and more.
How Crowdsourced Delivery Helps
Crowdsourced delivery is an ideal solution for businesses that want to make life easier for their customers without overwhelming them with new technology. It marries the convenience of app-based orders or real-time tracking with the assurance of a person fulfilling the final mile.
Rather than faceless algorithms and no way to contact customer support, crowdsourced drivers ensure fast delivery and offer a human touch. Features like order confirmation photos or responsive, 24/7 customer support create the reliability that today’s shoppers crave.
When executed effectively, crowdsourcing affords customers welcome flexibility without inflating costs or sacrificing reliability. Shoppers reward brands using crowdsourced delivery, consistently placing purchases directly in their hands, wherever they are.
Meeting the diversity of consumer expectations today requires creativity, but these solutions exist. Blending crowdsourcing into existing logistics infrastructure allows retailers to bridge in-store experiences with mobile convenience.
As preferences continue to shift, those seizing the flexibility and human element crowdsourcing offers will shape shoppers’ loyalty and purchasing decisions for years to come.
Dennis Moon is the chief operating officer of Roadie, a crowdsourced delivery platform that enables urgent, same-day and local next-day delivery.
Dennis Moon, Roadie’s COO, has served in executive management positions in both public and privately held companies over the past 15 years, including as executive vice president for Medovex Corp. (Nasdaq: MDVX), a medical device and technology company, and chief operations officer for JCS, where he assisted in the sale of the company to a private equity fund and remained COO of the JCS Division for Correctional Healthcare Companies. As COO, his responsibilities included supervising the day-to-day operations and maintenance of over 50,000 monthly clients, over 200 city, county and state contracts, 70 physical office locations, over 400 employees and over 1.8 million financial transactions per year.
Prior to his career in executive management, Dennis served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst and combat engineer with TS/SCI Clearance. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida.
