Ecommerce’s disruption of the shopping experience extends to brick-and-mortar purchases as well. A study conducted by retail management consulting firm BRP found that 82 percent of consumers shop and review products online before purchasing them in a store and warns that only 18 percent are focused on increasing the convergence of physical and digital shopping environments

BRP’s research focuses on the customer journey as ecommerce has elevated consumers' expectations of the shopping experience and retailers must now provide service anytime, anywhere and in any way customers desire. Consumers now have more shopping options than ever before with more competitive pricing, greater merchandise assortments and faster delivery.

"Since consumers use digital devices throughout the shopping journey to research product information, compare prices and read consumer reviews, providing as much relevant information via the retailer's website helps keep customers loyal to the brand," says Jeffrey Neville, senior vice president and practice lead at BRP. "As ecommerce continues to represent a greater share of retailers' revenue mix, it is imperative that retailers continue to enhance their online capabilities to keep up with their competitors that are just a click away."

BRP’s study identified retailers’ top unified commerce priorities; among them are creating a consistent brand experience across channels (59 percent), improving the online experience (52 percent), improving personalization (45 percent) and improving the mobile shopping experience (41 percent).

For more from BRP’s report, The E-Commerce Effect, click here.