switching behavior online shopping
Posted: Thu May 29, 2025 5:09 am
Professor Cor Molenaar has a clear vision on this. Within a few years, for several reasons, but mainly due to the rise of the internet, one in three shops will disappear. A vision of the future for which the professor has a good foundation, but also one that he has been calling for for a while.
If we look at the recent shift in retail, we see that a lot is indeed happening in retail. In various sectors, the number of stores is decreasing rapidly. In other sectors, however, the number of branches is decreasing less rapidly, or even stores are still being opened. And globally, the number of stores has even increased in the past period. There is nothing wrong with Molenaar's vision, but the facts do not yet prove him right.
Six challenges for retailers
In Weltevreden's vision, there are now six challenges for retailers. For example, they need to focus more on multi-connectivity , which means that websites need to be optimized for use on other devices. Not just smartphones and tablets, but also the emerging smart TV, for example.
Channel integration and channel switching
Furthermore, customer information from different channels must be linked and the different CRM systems must be integrated with each other. Customer needs must be catered for more, regardless of the customer contact channels used. According to Weltevreden, switching between different customer contact channels must also be facilitated more. Channel integration must be achieved and channel referrals must be developed.
M-commerce & ROI social media
Furthermore, more focus should be placed on m-commerce and how to reach, captivate and retain the list to data customer via a mobile application should be examined. In addition, the return on investment of social media activities should be determined and improved where necessary, since consumers nowadays use social networks en masse.
Competition from large online retailers
As a final challenge, Weltevreden mentions the question of how independent retailers can compete with large (online) retailers online . After all, since the rise of the internet, these independents have lagged behind retail chains when it comes to using the various online channels.
Future of online shopping
According to Weltevreden, online and offline will become more intertwined in the coming decade, the individual customer will become central and the increase in online shopping will put pressure on the vitality of shopping areas. “In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized and in which online developments are happening faster and faster, knowledge of the direction and consequences of these trends is crucial for retailers. Together with the lecturer-researchers of the Online Entrepreneurship lectorate, I want to contribute to this in the coming years,” says Weltevreden.
Jesse Weltevreden 's inaugural lecture has also been published in book form and can be downloaded here for free from the website of the Centre for Applied Research on Economics & Management of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
If we look at the recent shift in retail, we see that a lot is indeed happening in retail. In various sectors, the number of stores is decreasing rapidly. In other sectors, however, the number of branches is decreasing less rapidly, or even stores are still being opened. And globally, the number of stores has even increased in the past period. There is nothing wrong with Molenaar's vision, but the facts do not yet prove him right.
Six challenges for retailers
In Weltevreden's vision, there are now six challenges for retailers. For example, they need to focus more on multi-connectivity , which means that websites need to be optimized for use on other devices. Not just smartphones and tablets, but also the emerging smart TV, for example.
Channel integration and channel switching
Furthermore, customer information from different channels must be linked and the different CRM systems must be integrated with each other. Customer needs must be catered for more, regardless of the customer contact channels used. According to Weltevreden, switching between different customer contact channels must also be facilitated more. Channel integration must be achieved and channel referrals must be developed.
M-commerce & ROI social media
Furthermore, more focus should be placed on m-commerce and how to reach, captivate and retain the list to data customer via a mobile application should be examined. In addition, the return on investment of social media activities should be determined and improved where necessary, since consumers nowadays use social networks en masse.
Competition from large online retailers
As a final challenge, Weltevreden mentions the question of how independent retailers can compete with large (online) retailers online . After all, since the rise of the internet, these independents have lagged behind retail chains when it comes to using the various online channels.
Future of online shopping
According to Weltevreden, online and offline will become more intertwined in the coming decade, the individual customer will become central and the increase in online shopping will put pressure on the vitality of shopping areas. “In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized and in which online developments are happening faster and faster, knowledge of the direction and consequences of these trends is crucial for retailers. Together with the lecturer-researchers of the Online Entrepreneurship lectorate, I want to contribute to this in the coming years,” says Weltevreden.
Jesse Weltevreden 's inaugural lecture has also been published in book form and can be downloaded here for free from the website of the Centre for Applied Research on Economics & Management of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.