Online and Offline Strategies ‘Should Be Combined’

by Mike Essex on 2nd December 2010

Companies hoping to enjoy bumper Christmas sales have been advised to make sure their offline and online strategies are integrated with one another.

This is the suggestion of Google retail industry director Dan Schock, who explained both consumers and businesses are thinking about the two channels in a combined manner this year.

"Retailers are integrating things like inventory data across channels so that people can find what they're looking for easily, online and off," he noted.

Mr Schock told organisations employing SEO services search query trends are showing up a "crystal-clear connection" between online research and purchases made on the high street.

Similar advice was also given recently by Sameer Samat, director of product management at Google, who cited recent research from Forrester which revealed 46 per cent of in-store purchases are influenced by prior web-based study.

He said some shoppers are even using their mobile phones to discover product information while they are in a shop.