What is changing in the current retail landscape? Everything! Retailers will continue to invest in tools and technology to offer new or improved forms of shopping convenience to connect with current multichannel customers and welcome new ones. The role of the physical store could evolve to see more retailers use the space as a showroom or fulfillment center to better handle online orders. Ecommerce will continue to be a bright spot for most retail sectors, forcing some to shift attention to this channel in order to stay competitive and stay in business. In 2020, total retail sales are expected to be flat, while ecommerce sales will set new records, extraordinarily jumping 28%.

• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior and the retail industry, inclusive of ecommerce

• The recessionary impact of how consumers are prioritizing their expenditures

• How consumers are shopping across channels by category

• The types of multichannel behaviors consumers engage in

• The types of in-store experiences consumers like and how this might evolve

• Key drivers of retailer preference

This Report was written in August-September 2020.

This Report examines the interplay of the online and offline shopping environment, including how consumers shop both online and off, and how retailers are responding to changing behaviors to provide a unified and consistent experience across both physical and digital touchpoints. The focus of this Report is on tangible goods. Digital media, travel, entertainment, insurance policies and other intangible products are not the main subjects of this Report.

This Report includes research conducted in March 2020 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and additional research from April and July 2020. The impact of COVID-19 and ensuing implications for the retail industry are provided throughout the Report.

This Report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Omnichannel Retailing – US, May 2019 as well as The Impact of COVID-19 on Retail and eCommerce – US, June 2020.