'Omnichannel' Shopping ‘in Full Force': Google CBO

The volume of “returning visitors to online stores” was up fourfold in first-half 2021 from a year earlier, indicating the “explosive growth in digital” during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler on a Q3 call Tuesday. “As the world begins to reopen, shoppers are returning to stores.” Brick-and-mortar isn’t dead, but “omnichannel is in full force,” he said. Google searches for “open now near me” are four times higher globally than last year, he said. “Strong growth in local shopping queries means people are researching their visits to stores more often before they go.” Google monitors shopping activity globally “as vaccination rates climb and local regulations ease,” said Schindler. “The consumer shift to digital is real and will continue even as we start seeing people return to stores.” Consumer shopping habits have “have ebbed and flowed over the last 20 months, but the underlying takeaway is that people want more choice,” he said. “They want more information, more flexibility, and we don't see this reversing.”