What is Webrooming and How It's Changing the Path to Purchase

The psychology behind webrooming

Webrooming isn't random. It's driven by a few specific needs that online shopping alone can't fully satisfy.

The first is immediate gratification. Even as more people shop online, plenty of customers prefer to walk into a store and leave with the product immediately. Waiting days for a package doesn't appeal to everyone, especially when the item is something they've already decided they want. Once a shopper feels confident about a choice, the fastest way to get it is often the physical store down the road.

Then there's the desire to see and touch the product before buying. Clothes, furniture, electronics, cosmetics — these are categories where online images and descriptions only go so far.

Customers visit stores to test products, check the fit, or see the color in person. That tactile verification plays a huge role in customer satisfaction and confidence at the point of sale.

Shipping costs also push people toward webrooming. A shopper might find exactly what they want online, but once they see the delivery fee at checkout, they reconsider. If a local store carries the same item at a comparable price, buying in-store eliminates that extra cost entirely.

Webrooming vs. showrooming

Showrooming is essentially the opposite behavior. Instead of researching online and buying in-store, showrooming customers browse products at a physical store, then they go home and buy from an online retailer. They often do this because they found lower prices or better deals on the web.

For years, showrooming felt like a serious threat to brick-and-mortar retailers. Stores were spending money on retail space, staff, and inventory only to serve as free showrooms for online competitors.

Webrooming works in the opposite direction. It brings digitally informed customers through your doors with purchase intent already built in. They've done the research, read the reviews, and compared the options. They're coming in ready to buy.

Here's a simple way to think about the difference between showrooming and webrooming:

• Showrooming: The customer's journey starts in your store but ends on someone else's website. The in-store visit is for discovery, and the final purchase happens online — often with a competitor.
• Webrooming: The customer's journey starts online but ends in your store. The digital research phase builds confidence, and the in-store visit is where the sale closes.

Both showrooming and webrooming reflect how people now use multiple channels to make buying decisions. But webrooming is where physical retailers have the advantage, because the store is the destination, not just a stop along the way.

Recognizing showrooming trends and webrooming patterns in your customer data helps you understand which retail trends are actually working for your business model and which ones need attention.

The impact of webrooming on the path to purchase

The traditional sales funnel used to be straightforward: awareness, consideration, decision, purchase. That model doesn't reflect how people actually shop anymore.

Today's path to purchase is circular and full of touchpoints. A customer might see an Instagram ad, read a blog post, check a few online reviews, visit your website to confirm you carry the item, look up directions, and then walk into your store — all within a few hours.

Retail customer segmentation has to account for this kind of multi-channel behavior because the shopper who finds you through a Google search behaves very differently from the one who sees your store while driving by.

"Near me" searches are a big part of this. When someone searches "running shoes near me" or "furniture store open now," they're signaling strong purchase intent.

Investing in local SEO means your store shows up when these high-intent online shoppers are actively looking. Foot traffic driven by local search is some of the most valuable traffic a retailer can get, because these customers already know what they want and they're figuring out where to get it.

The result is that webrooming customers tend to convert at a higher rate once they walk in. They've already done their homework. Sales associates who understand this can skip the basic pitch and jump straight into helping the customer finalize their decision, which creates a better customer experience for everyone.

Strategies for retailers to capitalize on webroomers

If webroomers are doing their research before they show up, your job is to make sure your online presence supports that research and your in-store experience delivers on it.

Here are a few strategies that help bridge the gap between online and offline channels:

• Show real-time inventory on your website: Nothing frustrates a webrooming customer more than driving to a store only to find the product is out of stock. Inventory management tools that sync your website with your store shelves build trust and prevent you from losing sales to a competitor who has the item ready.
• Offer buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS): This gives customers the convenience of shopping from home with the speed of getting the product immediately. It's a natural bridge between online and in-store shopping habits, and it drives foot traffic that often leads to additional purchases.
• Invest in knowledgeable store associates: Webroomers already know the specs, the reviews, and the price comparisons. Store associates who can build on that research — offering personalized service, answering specific questions, or suggesting complementary products — add value to your in-store marketing that online retailers can't match.
• Use digital coupons redeemable in-store: Send targeted offers through email or SMS that customers can only use during an in-store visit. Special discounts tied to a physical visit give online browsers a concrete reason to come in, and they reinforce customer loyalty by rewarding the trip.
• Host in-store events: Workshops, product demos, or exclusive early-access nights give webroomers another reason to choose your store over clicking "add to cart."

Measure the success of an omnichannel approach

To connect your digital efforts to in-store results, you need the right metrics. Standard e-commerce analytics won't give you the full picture when your customers are crossing between online and offline channels before making a final purchase.

Think of these as bridge metrics — data points that connect what happens on your website or in your ads to what happens inside your store.

For example, retail media networks and digital ad platforms now allow you to track store visits that result from online ad impressions. If someone clicks your Google ad on Monday and walks into your store on Wednesday, that connection is measurable.

Gathering customer data at the point of sale is another way to close the loop. When a customer provides an email at checkout or scans a loyalty card, you can trace their path back to the digital touchpoint that started the journey.

Over time, this data helps you understand shopping preferences, refine your marketing, and allocate budget toward the channels that actually drive revenue.

Bridge the digital and physical gap with Mailchimp

Webrooming is a signal that your customers want the best of both worlds — the convenience of online research with the immediacy and confidence of buying in person. The retailers who thrive are the ones who make that crossover feel natural and easy.

Mailchimp gives you the tools to do exactly that. With features like landing pages, automated email reminders for abandoned carts (including prompts to visit a nearby store instead), and CRM capabilities that track cross-channel behavior, you can meet webroomers wherever they are in their journey.

Whether you're a small business competing with retail giants or a growing company refining your omnichannel approach, Mailchimp helps you personalize the path from first click to final purchase.