As online use cases continue to flourish, and as people get used to the conveniences of social media, there are some laggards. As noted in a MOZ Blog – “The State of Consumer Trends “, many cohorts are embracing the ability and opportunity to use social media to search online, connect with friends, view all kinds of content, play games, and do commerce. This convenience seems to have really taken hold in the Gen Z and Millenials, with the Gen X cohort catching up. Looking at the chart below, it is fascinating to see the slow uptake of the Boomer generation to embrace online shopping.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-consumer-trends-report
As a Boomer, with a Boomer wife that does all the shopping in our household, including most of my needs, it would seem that using social media would be very convenient for Michele. Especially thru a time of ongoing viruses, she could procure many of our requirements by shopping online. She has an iPhone, and does use it for face timing her grandkids, and playing “Words with Friends ” with multiple friends ( yes, she is a gamer ). She uses it mostly to text with her friends, so much so that I was able to get rid of the home phone.
So, why would she use digital media for so many things, but not shopping ? Why would she not follow her Millennial kids into the online shopping arena ? And what reasons can we glean as to why ?
The first reason is social in nature. Michele prefers to shop with friends, enjoying the experience of sharing the outing, bantering back and forth, asking their opinion on a particular item ( does my bum look big in this dress ? ), complaining about the price of items, and bonding over a coffee at the end of the shopping trip. This human interaction is missing from an iPhone screen.
Next up is the missing visual confirmation. Many things she could buy online do not look the same when they arrive at out front door. For example, that pizza is smaller and has less items on it that was shown on the online menu. Bananas can be bruised. A lifetime of being misled by advertising has left scars, and Michele may never get over the need to see it before buying it. Carvana will never show up at my front door.
There is also the contentious reason of size. Clothes especially fit this idea, as many ads, which are slowly being updated for plus sizes, do not allow for a proper fit unless you are of a particular size or shape. Buying clothes from worldwide sources and having a medium size mean different dimensions to different societies can prove un-enjoyable.
Of course, it can be argued that many items that do not meet your expectations can be returned, for a full refund. This is sometimes true, but usually involve a restocking charge, or call for postage to be paid. Buying from Costco, as an example, allows for a full return, with no questions asked, usually for many months after purchase, negates these costs, and explains why Costco is Michele’s favorite place to shop, in person, sometimes with a friend. Who can argue with that logic ?
So, while in store shopping is decreasing as online purchasing grows, retailers will need to improve their quality reputation and ability to view their goods as if the customer is wearing it, before Boomers will venture into the online shopping pond. Perhaps Virtual Reality ( VR ) tools will do that, and while we see some use cases for trying on glasses styles virtually before buying, that technology still needs work.
Remember, many Boomers, like Michele, have embraced social media, and use digital devices daily. Unfortunately there remain areas of sub optimization that may never be overcome for some people. Do you agree ? I would love to see your comments on other items that Michele would not buy online, or reasons you still shop in person. Perhaps retailers will read our comments and improve the buying experience for all of us, including even Michele !
https://www.nosto.com/blog/how-does-social-media-influence-customer-behavior/https://twitter.com/socialmedia2day
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 