Consumer behavior is in a constant state of change, and keeping track of it usually takes a significant amount of work. Also, although marketers are often aiming for online sales these days, they are still shooting to get consumers into stores to buy the newest items. The results of a recent survey from Wanderful Media, a company that specializes in local discovery shopping, show the way that digital advertising is influencing consumers in their buying activity. It shows that consumer shopping behavior is changing because of online advertising efforts, and it seems that the influence that digital marketing has on in-store purchasing is significant.
The results come from a survey of more than 1,000 consumers, with the objective of researching consumer shopping behavior. Here are the highlights of the company’s results:
- The Internet drives consumers into stores – 91 percent have gone into a store based on an online experience; more than half after reading an online circular
- Shopping is often a combined online/offline experience – 77 percent research product information online while shopping in a store, with 62 percent completing the purchase
- Shopping online is done while multi-tasking – 63 percent shop online while watching TV, and almost a quarter shop while commuting
With that many people going shopping at stores bases solely on advertising they have seen on the internet, it is clear that a significant impact comes from the web. To break it down even further, the survey results show just what types of digital advertising are affecting shopping decisions most.
The survey shows 60% of respondents said that upon receiving an email a special price or promotion, they decided to shop in-store. 59% said that their behavior was influenced by online coupons. 56% of respondents stated that they saw an online ad promoting a sale. Another 55% said that they searched for a product and found a store location. 52% of respondents were influenced by an online circular, which is an ad with a group of weekly deals. About 22% said that a recommendation from a friend on a social media site influenced their shopping decisions. Only 9% of respondents said that their shopping behavior has not been influenced by marketing that they have seen on the web.
The survey also covers things like consumers checking for product information on the web while actually being in the store physically, with 62% of respondents saying that they complete the purchase of the item of interest while in the store, 25% saying that they bought something different based on information they found online, and only 13% saying they did not make a purchase.
The company concludes their reporting of the results from the survey with the following quote:
“The lines have blurred between online and in-store shopping and technology enables an experience that easily moves between online and the local retailer. The use of mobile phones and tablets provides the freedom to discover, research or see what your friends are buying, regardless of where you are and many consumers easily switch between devices depending on the task. It’s because of these behaviors that our products will be designed to easily and seamlessly move through the entire shopping journey from discovery through purchase with a strong focus on mobile.”
