No. 3: Don’t Forget About Email!
Email might not be flashy, but it remains a workhorse of digital marketing that delivers results. Data shows that it also serves as a security blanket for millennials making online purchases. A November 2018 survey of US digital shoppers found that 62.4% of those ages 18 to 24 had experienced a moment of panic after failing to immediately receive a purchase confirmation by email. That figure was higher than any other age group. Retailers can spare younger shoppers some stress by ensuring that emails arrive quickly after an online transaction.
No. 4: They’re Ready for Innovation
Millennials are willing to run with open arms toward emerging technologies that could reshape the path to purchase. In fact, more than 60% of millennials in the US and the UK polled by ViSenze in July 2018 said they would be comfortable using visual search tools. Shoppable content such as clickable images and videos was also popular among a majority of respondents. But not all technologies were viewed equally. A minority of those polled were similarly open to using augmented reality (AR) or live chat and messaging to shop online. If retailers want to invest in the newest shiny thing, they should pick and choose their investments carefully.
No. 5: Bring on the Robots
Millennials are more open to skipping out on human interactions at the point-of-sale than other generations. The same Bizrate Insights survey from December 2018 showed that more than half used self-service checkouts at brick-and-mortar stores, and only 7% said they were uninterested in ever using the technology. That might surprise some retailers who conflate a solid in-store customer experience with having a surfeit of staff on hand. When it comes to purchases, millennials want to go it alone.
