What a buyer wants. Consumers have a nearly unlimited number of shopping channels to choose from. With all those options, what they really crave is a frictionless buying experience. Global Payments helps retailers provide seamless commerce experiences for consumers, from physical stores to online shopping. Learn more.
From social media to shopping apps to physical stores, consumers can shop for what they want, where they want, when they want. All of those choices have created a new expectation for retailers: a seamless, smooth-as-butter buying experience.
Imagine you’re lying on your couch, shopping for a newer, comfier couch. You’ve found two great options at the same price point, and you’re ready to buy.
But here’s the catch: Retailer A’s journey to checkout is clunky, and their payment system doesn’t have the options you want. Retailer B’s checkout process is simple and makes payment a breeze. All else being equal, you’ll move forward with the couch from Retailer B simply because of the better buying experience.
Consumers’ focus on a seamless buying experience shouldn’t surprise retailers. With the rise of search-to-purchase functionality, live commerce, and the resurgence of physical stores, brands are already making it simple for consumers to shop whenever, wherever they want.
We teamed up with Global Payments to learn what consumers are looking for—and how retailers are streamlining the buying experience. Let’s get started.
Search ‘n’ shop
Not so long ago, online shopping looked a lot different. You’d crack open your laptop, head to your fave search engine, and type in “blue couch.” The results? Not great. Well, the rise of search-to-purchase functionality changed things in a big way.
Think about the way you pay for a rideshare. It’s seamless and simple: No exchanging money or swiping your card, the app automatically charges your account once you reach your destination.
Search-to-purchase uses those same principles to simplify the checkout experience. If you find an item you like on Instagram, TikTok, or Google, you can add it to cart and pay without ever leaving the site. For young shoppers, it’s a no-brainer.
“Gen Zers are constantly scrolling on Instagram and TikTok, so they’re going to search and buy there versus going to a search engine,” Gilbert Bailey, president of retail POS at Global Payments, said.
“If you can make [their] decision to buy instantaneous, it just gets the sale. You don’t have to go someplace else. You stay in the zone.”
Search-to-purchase also helps level the playing field for small businesses.
“A creator can shoot pictures of their pottery, then quickly get links for Instagram and Facebook and places where you could click a link and buy the item,” Bailey said. “It processes the payment, the creator gets the shipping information, and ships it out.”
Aaaaand we’re live
With the rise of search-to-purchase on platforms like TikTok and Instagram comes the rise of live commerce. Live commerce is a digital-first way for retailers to connect directly with consumers. And it’s already gaining traction after its success in China.
Global Payments’ 2025 Commerce and Payment Trends Report explores TikTok Shop’s first $1m shopping livestream in 2024. Hosted with Canvas Beauty, the six-hour event’s viewership peaked at 10k users.
And major retailers around the world are following suit. After their own successful run of live shopping broadcasts in China, Zara announced that it would expand its live commerce strategy into the UK, Europe, and the US.
Dyson is another brand making live commerce their own, producing virtual shopping events with a regular schedule showcasing vacuum cleaners and other appliances.
But to complete the buying experience, the payment process must be seamless. Consumers want to continue scrolling and interacting with the platform without leaving to complete their purchases.
You might be asking: Well, if shoppers can interact with retailers live online, is IRL shopping dead? Nope. Live commerce can be a valuable extension of physical stores, but it won’t replace them.
Head to the store
We can’t overstate the importance (and convenience) that e-commerce, search-to-purchase, and live commerce bring to the retail space. But Global Payments’ Report found physical stores are still the No. 1 priority for midmarket businesses (95%) and SMBs (85%).
Even enterprise businesses are prioritizing physical locations (55%), just barely ranking behind e-commerce (60%), mobile (68%), and social media (61%).
There’s just something special about the in-person shopping experience that online experiences can’t replicate. And no, not the fluorescent lighting.
Consumers create connections with brands they love, and many want the tactile, physical experience of shopping in the store. Retailers want in-person and digital shopping experiences to complement each other, not compete with one another.
Let’s look at the numbers. 95% of midmarket businesses and 85% of SMBs said they’re prioritizing physical stores, but only about a third of each are prioritizing mobile (31%, 33%) and social media (34%, 30%). That gap widens for live commerce, suggesting midmarket and SMBs may wait for the costs and risks of selling on a new channel to come down before diving in.
As new platforms and shopping channels emerge, retailers still focus on creating a balanced, smooth buying experience—and that means not neglecting the power of physical stores.
Smooth sailing shopping
Whether customers are browsing for couches, vacuums, or a new weekend ’fit, a seamless buying experience starts with seamless payments. Global Payments helps retailers streamline commerce experiences across channels, from online transactions to the checkout counter.
See the data and get the full story in the 2025 Commerce and Payment Trends Report.
And give your brand’s buying experience a boost when you partner with Global Payments. Learn about Genius, Global Payments’ POS solution that adapts to the unique workflows of small independent businesses while scaling effortlessly to meet the complex demands of high volume enterprises.