In Japan’s retail market, a purchasing method known as webrooming is becoming more common. With webrooming, customers gather information online and then make their purchases at physical stores. The process typically involves reading reviews and comparison sites, and then visiting a store to examine the actual product in person before making a confident purchase.

This pattern of behavior represents a change in the customer’s motivation for visiting brick-and-mortar stores. It also means a change in the purchasing process for businesses. Both have a significant impact on marketing strategies and store operations.

In this article, we’ll explore webrooming, including how it differs from showrooming, its benefits and points of caution, and examples of Japanese businesses that have dealt with it successfully.

What’s in this article?

• What is webrooming?
  
• Survey data on webrooming
  
• Measures for webrooming
  
• The advantages of supporting webrooming
  
• Points of caution when supporting webrooming
  
• Examples of companies that support webrooming
  
• How Stripe Terminal can help
  

What is webrooming?

Webrooming refers to a shopping behavior in which customers use the internet to research product information, reviews, and prices in advance, and then go to a physical store to make the actual purchase. In the world of marketing, this is also known as research online, purchase offline (ROPO).

The embracement of webrooming is tied to the broad adoption of smartphones and increased convenience of ecommerce sites. Customers can now combine a wealth of online information with the experiential value of physical stores, which is especially important for high-priced items and other products that require verification of quality.

Why customers use webrooming

There are several reasons for the webrooming behavior customers have adopted in recent years.

Convenience

Shoppers want to avoid making unnecessary trips to stores to check prices or stock levels. This is particularly true when they want to purchase large or popular items. Researching products and checking availability ahead of time means that shoppers can spend less time running around to different stores.

Peace of mind

There is also a psychological desire to gain peace of mind by first gathering information through online reviews and comparison sites, and then confirming the product meets expectations in person.

For example, some aspects of a product—such as ease of operation for home appliances or color tones for cosmetics—are difficult to judge on a screen. For shoppers, it is natural to gather information online in advance, and then visit a physical store for a final check. That way they ultimately choose a product that they are satisfied with.

A supportive environment

Some businesses have created a conducive environment for webrooming. For example, when a business has an omnichannel payment system in place, customers can use points and coupons both online and in stores. This means that customers can enjoy the same shopping experience regardless of the channel they use, making it feel convenient to research online and buy in person.

All of these factors have combined to help webrooming gain popularity. It is seen as a shopping style that combines efficiency and peace of mind.

Differences from showrooming

In terms of the process leading up to a purchase, showrooming and webrooming are exact opposites.

• Webrooming: Customers research product details on a business’s website and then go to its physical store to make the purchase.
  
• Showrooming: Customers browse and examine products in a store before purchasing them online.
  

From a business’s standpoint, webrooming carries the risk of shoppers browsing online and then not making a purchase. However, it can easily translate into sales when customers actually visit a store, and it can also lead to subsequent sales. On the other hand, showrooming poses challenges for sales revenue because even when customers receive in-person service in the store, they tend to purchase from the cheapest online retailer.

Survey data on webrooming

Data suggests that many customers check products online and gather information before making a purchase.

A 2023 survey found that approximately 50% of Japanese consumers reported having used webrooming. Furthermore, approximately 60% of consumers indicated they would like to incorporate webrooming in their purchasing process in the future, clearly demonstrating the growing customer mindset of gathering information online before doing anything else.

The survey also found that purchasing behavior following a product search on a website could be primarily categorized into the following three types:

• In-store purchase type: Information gathering is done online, but physical verification and purchasing are done in brick-and-mortar stores.
  
• In-store confirmation, online purchase type: Information gathering is done online, physical verification is done in a physical store, but the final purchase is made online.
  
• Completely online type: Information gathering, confirmation, and verification of the item, as well as the final purchase are all done online.
  

Additionally, the survey revealed that more “in-store purchase type" and "in-store confirmation, online purchase type" transactions occurred as the purchase amount increased.

Measures for webrooming

For businesses to effectively utilize webrooming, it is important to provide a purchase experience that is both convenient and reassuring, whether the customer is on an ecommerce site or in a physical store. To achieve this, it is key to adopt concepts such as Online Merge Offline (OMO), unified commerce, and omnichannel—which are all systems that seamlessly connect online and offline experiences. This allows the customer to have the same experience regardless of the channel they use to shop or where they might be.

The advantages of supporting webrooming

Webrooming can generate positive effects for both customers and businesses. Let’s take a look at the specific benefits that supporting webrooming can have.

Synchronization of inventory information

When businesses synchronize inventory between their ecommerce sites and physical stores in real time, customers can check whether a product they want is available before making a trip to a store. Accurate inventory information enhances customer satisfaction and creates the opportunity for future visits to stores.

Utilization of data by store staff

When online and offline systems are connected, staff at physical stores can easily access customer information. They then have the ability to provide data-driven, customized service to customers visiting a store. Customers, in turn, enjoy a unique shopping experience where they feel they are receiving personalized attention.

Consistency in the checkout and payment experience

When payment methods in physical stores are different from online, customers are more likely to feel inconvenienced. For example, there might be situations where points earned in a store cannot be used online, or cards that are registered in an app cannot be used in a physical store. Omnichannel payments provide a means for eliminating these gaps. Ensuring customers have the ability to use their benefits and special offers, credit cards, or QR code payments across multiple channels is one way to enhance their sense of convenience. This consistency creates a feeling of security and trust, which can lead to repeat purchases.

Points of caution when supporting webrooming

Supporting webrooming also raises certain concerns.

Additional systems for inventory management are needed

When inventory is shown as available online but is sold out when the customer arrives at the store, it can result in a significant drop in customer satisfaction. The implementation of a highly sophisticated inventory management system and seamless coordination with logistics hubs are required.

Staff need new skills

Customer service that leverages customer data requires both traditional customer service skills and the ability to handle digital tools. Businesses need to make sure that training and support systems for staff within the company are in place.

Cross-channel price and campaign management

When consolidating and unifying payment methods and benefits such as rewards points, it is important to clearly define operational rules. This ensures promotional campaign details remain consistent across online and offline channels.

Examples of companies that support webrooming

Certain Japanese businesses have been successful in supporting webrooming. Let’s take a look at how they’ve connected their online and offline offerings.

Surugu-ya

Suruga-ya, which offers second-hand games and figures, originally sold exclusively online. However, it now operates physical stores across Japan, effectively linking its vast online product information with its physical store inventory. Customers can check the availability and price of desired products on the business’s official website before they visit a store. Customers consider Surugu-ya’s stores to be places where they can look over products before making their final purchases. Customer interactions at physical stores have also led to synergistic effects, such as add-on purchases and customers later bringing in their products for resale or trade-in.

ABC Mart

ABC Mart, a shoe retailer, is working to improve their system that allows customers to check inventory online and pick up their purchases in stores. They’re doing this by synchronizing their official ecommerce site inventory with in-store inventory nationwide. Additionally, they are working to bridge digital technology and customer service. One example is having staff utilize customer data to recommend products during in-store visits. This is a classic example of a business facilitating webrooming, allowing customers to gather information online and then helping them to make their final purchase decision in person.

Effectively linking online and physical stores, as Suruga-ya and ABC Mart do, not only improves customer convenience but also creates new opportunities for business growth.

How Stripe Terminal can help

Stripe Terminal is a unified commerce solution. It integrates in-person and online channels to achieve revenue growth. With new payment methods, simple hardware, global support, and commerce integration with hundreds of point-of-sale (POS) systems, it allows you to build your ideal payment environment.

Stripe has enhanced unified commerce for Hertz, URBN, Lands’ End, Shopify, Lightspeed, Mindbody, and many other companies.

Features of Stripe Terminal

• Unified commerce: Centralize the management of online and in-person payments on a global platform.
  
• Global expansion: With one system and general payment methods, expansion to 24 countries is possible.
  
• Implementation that suits your company: You can develop your own custom POS app or use a third-party POS or ecommerce system to integrate with your existing tech stack.
  
• Simple hardware: Order, manage, and monitor Stripe-compatible card readers.
  

Learn more about Stripe Terminal, or get started today.