Social Media Impacts Retail Customer Behavior

IDC: Social Media Impacts Retail Customer Behavior

If you weren’t convinced of the need to use social media in your retail operations, this report confirms what others have been saying for awhile.

“IDC Retail Insights recently released a new report, which gives an overview of the main opportunities being created by social networks for retailing. This study also analyzes the various social phenomena developing on the Web 2.0, and how these can be used by retailers to gain a competitive advantage.

‘It is increasingly on social media that retail brand awareness is established and brand image is built,’ said Ivano Ortis, research director, IDC Retail Insights. ‘Social networks, blogs, price comparison Web sites, and the likes can all be used by retailers of all kinds and sizes to attract and influence customers, to study demand patterns, to improve brand reputation, and, finally, to provide customer support. Looking ahead, IDC Retail Insights sees an open social network built on a personalized widget portal, which will be available to each consumer individually, independent of each retailer — and yet supported by all of them — accessible from everywhere via a wide array of technologies.'”