Online shopping to ‘completely’ change brick-and-mortar shopping by 2030: report

Flagship stores will likely serve more like ‘car showrooms.’

Online shopping is poised to “completely” change the way customers shop in brick and mortar stores by 2030, GlobalData projected. 

In its Tech in 2030 – Thematic Research, GLobalData noted that stores will likely focus on improving customer experience through increased personalisation of products, and turning malls into “entertainment centres.”

“Personally, I find the most exciting development is the changes we will see in malls. Centers in the US, Canada, Dubai, and Finland have already started housing entertainment facilities such as ice rinks, cinemas, aquariums, exhibition halls, and theatres, but this will soon become a world-wide standard,” Shabnam Pervez (MBPsS), Thematic Intelligence Analyst at GlobalData, said. 

“No longer will you head to the mall only to shop. You will seek to be entertained first and foremost, then do some shopping on the side. The primary purpose of a mall as a destination shopping experience will be shared with entertainment. On some trips shoppers will seek to be entertained first and foremost with shopping becoming a secondary activity.”

Read more: Around 7 in 10 Southeast Asian consumers see online shopping as “integral” part of life

Moreover, online shopping will also in effect change how flagship stores function. Flagship stores will likely serve more as car showrooms, where products can be tried out and purchased for same-day delivery. 

“For flagship stores, we predict that they will increasingly resemble showrooms. Staff will act as brand ambassadors, offering their expert knowledge, demonstrating products in store and inviting customers to try them out, with the option of same-day delivery to their homes,” Pervez said. 

GlobalData also projected that augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality will be prevalent in malls and high street stores in 2030.