Retailers in 2013 Must Reach Always-On Consumers Mar 11, 2013

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Consumers are multidevice, cross-channel shoppers, which is forcing digital marketers to adapt their message in order to reach them, according to the upcoming 2013 Digital Marketer Report from Experian Marketing Services.

The report identified showrooming as driving some changes in the retail industry. Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers will need to decide if they should adopt policies matching online retail prices. Appliance and home improvement retailer Best Buy, for example, implemented a policy of price matching.

The report also identified the importance of comparison shopping, and said shopping sites are the third largest driver of traffic to other retail sites.

The report also saw no let-up in the economic uncertainty that has served to dampen consumer confidence. Factors such as the fiscal cliff, the payroll tax increase, and gas prices.

The report characterizes consumers as "hyperconnected" and "always on," and able to move seamlessly among channels and devices.

What that means for marketers: cross-channel marketing is no longer optional.

"The way consumers gain information from brands -- the means by which they get it, even the ways in which they process it -- is constantly evolving given the complexity of our cross-channel world and evolving consumer behavior driven by economic variables." said Bill Tancer, general manager of global research for Experian Marketing Services

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