Are You A Phygital Customer And You Don't Even Know It?

Physical shopping is good, digital shopping is better. But what's better than a combination of the two? Phygical shopping is an amalgamation of physical and digital shopping. The best of both world, it brings the digital transformation into the physical experience of shopping and vice versa. 

The term "phygical" was coined by Chris Weil, CEO of the Momentum World. It refers to the fact that shoppers are never influenced by or exposed to only one market channel, physical or digital. Their shopping experience combines the two. How many times has it occurred that before visiting a shop or any branded store, we check their stock online to see if they fit our personal style?

Phygital retail is reshaping how people shop by combining the best of online and in-store experiences. 📱 Today’s shoppers want flexibility—browsing online, trying products in-store, and completing purchases via apps. #Retail #Phygital #Omnichannel https://t.co/ZtquzdcHnH pic.twitter.com/EU6UmcScr0

— Bob Chiodo (@B_Chiodo) October 15, 2024

Revelations by the Snapchat Study

A special study by Snapchat analysed how people spend their money and was titled "The 2$ Trillion Opportunity: How Genz is shaping the New India." It threw light upon the fact that Genz's overall purchasing capability is expected to be an incredible 2$ trillion by 2035 in India. 

GenZs create mood boards on various apps for all kinds of shopping requirements, thereby not cramming and cluttering everything on the same bucket list.

AR and VR technologies 

Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality greatly enhance 'phygical' shopping experience for customers. Customers now have access to virtual try-ons, product visualization, immersive brand experience and more. 

Did you know with AI you can actually visualise customers in your actual environment thus paving the way for informed and confident purchases? To quote a popular example, IKEA lets shoppers virtually place furniture in their homes to see how it fits and complements their space. VR elevates this further by crafting immersive digital store environments that customers can explore from anywhere. This simulates what one may call an authentic in-store experience with interactive layouts and displays. 

Phygital shopping is the best of both worlds, today anything that is pro-genz takes on the market seamlessly. It is very likely to become a staple in the future of retail.