Infotech Lead America: Americans believe retailers should do more to enhance the in-store shopping experience.
According to a poll conducted by GfK Roper in association with SapientNitro, part of Sapient, 70 percent Americans agree that retailers could do more to enhance the in-store shopping experience.
Buyers are looking to have the ability to buy products in-store but have them shipped to home for free (79 percent), according to the poll.
Other demands of buyers include the following:
Free Wi-Fi (63 percent); interactive displays or kiosks that provide additional information or recommendations about a product (57 percent) and exclusive in-store mobile offers (56 percent).
Among smartphone users, a majority would also like:
To view store circulars/flyers on their phone (67 percent), In-store navigation smartphone apps (59 percent), and the option for mobile payment or to check out by scanning their mobile phone (59 percent)
Chris Davey, global head of commerce at SapientNitro, said: “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.”
The majority of Americans (62 percent) feel it is wrong that stores are opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving Day just to get a jump on Black Friday sales.
Americans are using brick and mortar locations in different ways. A majority of digital users (51 percent) report “showrooming,” that is using retail stores to browse products, all the while planning to buy a product later online.
One third (33 percent) 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 percent last year, say they purchased a product in a physical retail store after researching the product online.
27 percent say they purchased a product online after shopping for a similar item in a physical store.
Four in ten digital users (41 percent) 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 percent saying this was their biggest motivator. Close to half of 18-24 year old digital users (48 percent) report shopping more online and less at physical stores this year.
24 percent 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 percent) saying that, compared to last holiday shopping season, they are relying more on their smartphone, tablet, or computer.
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 percent, up from 67 percent in 2011)
Bought something (74 percent, up from 55 percent)
Used an email offer from a retailer (62 percent, up from 45 percent)
Used a consumer rating site to help them decide to buy a product (56 percent, up from 40 percent)
Used a mobile coupon (33 percent, up from 18 percent)
