How shifts in work and life will change how people shop

What people expect from retail experiences is changing, whether they’re shopping online, in-store, or somewhere in between. Here’s what Ipsos’ Neil Ellefsen thinks retailers need to know.

How shifts in work and life will change how people shop
The author(s)
  • Neil Ellefsen SVP, Ipsos Channel Performance, US
Get in touch
What the Future: Cities
Download the full What the Future: Cities issue

Where people work and live are in flux — which means how they shop will shift, too.

What people decide to buy has long been driven by familiar factors like price, quality and convenience. But there is no standard definition of “convenience” at a time when some Americans are commuting to the office and others are working from home. Meanwhile, the e-commerce boom has changed peoples’ habits and expectations of in-person and online shopping. And these changes are happening in a new era of personalization, fulfilment flexibility, sourcing transparency, and zero-click/predictive ordering.

As work and schedules change, understanding the “who, what, where, why and how” of shopping decisions will become more complex, says Neil Ellefsen, senior vice president in Ipsos’ U.S. Channel Performance team.

“The winners will be the brands who get a deep understanding of shoppers’ needs and motivations, and embrace these changes.”

How people's commuting days vary

← Read previous
Why flexibility will drive the future of work and cities

 

Read next →
Why all-ages urbanism makes for better cities


For further reading

What the Future: Spending

What the Future: Work

Ipsos Top Topics: Retail, Food and Beverage

The author(s)
  • Neil Ellefsen SVP, Ipsos Channel Performance, US