7 in 10 Want Retailers to Enhance In-Store Shopping

By CnAgri Print

Even as retailers have expanded purchase options and welcomed digital shoppers into stores this holiday season, most Americans believe that retailers could do more to enhance the in-store shopping experience, according to a just-released national poll conducted by GfK Roper in conjunction with SapientNitro, part of Sapient.

Seven in ten (70%) Americans agree that "retailers could do more to enhance the in-store shopping experience." Highly valued enticements include:

-- The ability to buy products in-store but have them shipped to home for free (79%)

-- Free Wi-Fi (63%)

-- Interactive displays or kiosks that provide additional information or recommendations about a product (57%)

-- Exclusive in-store mobile offers (56%).

Among smartphone users, a majority would also like:

-- To view store circulars/flyers on their phone (67%),

-- In-store navigation smartphone apps (59%), and

-- The option for mobile payment or to check out by scanning their mobile phone (59%).

"Many of our retail clients are redefining their in-store shopping experience to reach today's connected consumer," said Chris Davey, global head of commerce at SapientNitro. "The 2012 holiday shopping season marked a fundamental shift in which retailers not only recognized but accommodated digital shoppers in the in-store experience. From investing in GPS-enabled store maps or updating mobile shopping apps for smartphones and tablets, retailers placed big bets on today's 'always-on' shopper and both parties won. Their efforts made holiday shopping easier but have raised consumer expectations for more."

While embracing digital in their lives, respondents want to preserve their family time too. The majority of Americans (62%) feel it is wrong that stores are opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving Day just to get a jump on Black Friday sales.

The American tradition of holiday shopping is alive and well, but Americans are using brick and mortar locations in different ways. A majority of digital users (51%) report "showrooming," that is using retail stores to browse products, all the while planning to buy a product later online.

Just this holiday season:

-- One third (33%) of digital users say they have first gone into a store just to look at an item, with the idea of buying it later online.

-- Four in 10 Americans, up from 33% last year, say they purchased a product in a physical retail store after researching the product online.

-- 27% say they purchased a product online after shopping for a similar item in a physical store.

The overall trend in online shopping continues to rise, with four in ten digital users (41%) saying that, compared to last year, they have shopped more online and less at physical retail stores this year. The biggest reason is the convenience of shopping when they want, with 44% saying this was their biggest motivator. Close to half of 18-24 year old digital users (48%) report shopping more online and less at physical stores this year. Parents appreciate the convenience too. One respondent noted, "I just asked my daughter to give me a list of what she wanted and she included links, so I went online and it was much easier than going to the store."

One quarter (24%) of Americans feel like there have been more deals offered this holiday season. An increasing number are using their digital devices to help them navigate and find the best bargains, with four in ten (43%) saying that, compared to last holiday shopping season, they are relying more on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. This is particularly true of 18-24 year old digital users, 59% of whom agree with the statement. As one respondent noted: "I bought a lot more gifts on my iPad than I did last year, just because it was convenient. I could do it wherever I was, I didn't have to be at my desk, I could be watching TV, or in bed or wherever..."

While there were more deals to be had, the number of options available this holiday season made finding the best deal more cumbersome for some. Even among smartphone users, four in ten report "feeling overwhelmed the past few weeks with so many holiday shopping deals offered by email, newspapers, in stores, etc." At the same time, seven in ten Americans like the fact that many Cyber Monday sales are now being extended into Cyber Week.

To aid in their navigation, savvy smartphone owners report putting digital devices to use at a higher rate this year across a wide variety of shopping behaviors. The biggest increases in use from the 2011 post-Thanksgiving holiday season include smartphone users reporting digital device use in the following ways:

-- Researched and browsed for products (82%, up from 67% in 2011)

-- Bought something (74%, up from 55%)

-- Used an email offer from a retailer (62%, up from 45%)

-- Used a consumer rating site to help them decide to buy a product (56%, up from 40%)

-- Used a mobile coupon (33%, up from 18%)

SapientNitro has identified a number of rising shopper trends to watch over the coming holiday seasons. According to the poll, among consumers who have smartphones:

-- 35% used their GPS/location feature on their phone to help with holiday shopping (vs 31% in 2011)

-- 27% used a QR code to find more information about a product (vs 19% in 2011)

-- 9% used a Black Friday or Cyber Monday mobile app

-- 7% have purchased something on their tablet

"One area we think will be transforming the retail landscape is mobile payments," continued Davey. "With nearly six in 10 smartphone users in our survey reporting that they'd like to see retailers offer mobile payment options, the industry must align quickly. As competing cloud-based and NFC models are sorted out and stores install the required technology, we see mobile payments as the big shift next holiday season and beyond."