Wide approval in France for omnichannel solutions combining digital and physical shopping experiences

73% of French people think that click & collect solutions will bring about a lasting change in how they consume.

This is one of the key findings of the research on the “Digitalization of commerce: the expectations of the French in 2021,” carried out by OpinionWay for Dalenys, the unified payment solution for commerce by Natixis Payments, first unveiled on December 10.

The Covid-19 crisis and the changes in behavior it triggered in the face of store closures have helped to transform French people’s attitudes to digital commerce, making them more amenable to online shopping. But there has also occurred a paradigm shift: the brick & mortar store has become the cornerstone of this digitalization. Omnichannel solutions combining digital and physical shopping experiences are widely approved by the French.
 
Click & collect: a revelation 
The click & collect solution was a revelation for the French during the second lockdown period starting at the end of October 2020.  This way of shopping, which enjoys 80% support in France, is expected to bring about a lasting change in habits for a large majority of French people. Even more significantly, 73% of the French believe that it will lead to a long-term change in consumer behavior. Indeed, 82% of the people included in the survey even considered that it would be in the interest of businesses to further enhance their click & collect services. 

Preference for more in-store digital solutions
They also, however, express other expectations with respect to innovation. A total of 7 out of 10 French people say they are interested in at least one in-store innovative digital purchasing or payment solution. Catering, one of the sectors hardest hit by the Covid pandemic, concentrates the highest number of consumer expectations. For example, 37% of the French would be ready to use mobile payment solutions to pay for meals in a restaurant on a regular basis in 2021.