Integration of Digital and Brick and Mortar Engagement

 https://martech.org/app-users-visit-brick-and-mortar-41-more-often-than-non-users/

The article above highlights how users who download retail apps make more frequent in store visits than those who don't. Its clear that the variety of channels consumers can leverage to interact with retailers creates complexity for optimizing customer engagement. On the one hand it might be intuitive to believe that app users would prefer convenience and e-commerce engagement to visiting a physical storefront. But on the other hand, industries have come to recognize the import role digital content plays in educating consumers about products and services. Another consideration I hope the study accounted for is whether users who visit store fronts are more likely to download apps rather than the reverse cause-and-effect relationship defined in the article.

The article acknowledges that getting people to use the apps is challenging, and that the most common catalyst for adoption is a referral from a friend. In that case, it sounds as if leveraging facebook to potentially market these apps through connections and similar interests could be an effective way to drive adoption. While the use of retail apps is less common, another caveat discussed in the article is the importance of alternative engagement mediums given the anticipated upcoming loss of 3rd party cookies. Emerging media platforms offer a great way to identify customers. However, I personally wonder how consumers will respond to app fatigue. Much of the value consumers get from search engines or e-commerce websites is that they can engage with multiple products using a single channel. I'm skeptical that consumers would be willing to download an app for every store that they patron. In that case, brick and mortar stores may start to compete heavily to develop apps that have the broadest and most comprehensive utility for consumers.