A new Euclid survey aimed at identifying consumer wants when it comes to digital experiences while shopping. Traditionally, over 92 percent of all retail spending is done while physically in stores. However, Amazon and other online retailers are aiming at getting a piece of that pie.
One option that traditional retailers have to fight back against online retailers taking a portion of their sales is to use digital technology such as smart phones, to enhance the in-store experience. It has yet to be determined how effective, if at all, such tactics will be.
A new study performed by Euclid Analytics may shed some light on how traditional retailers can use technology to further their sales and retain their portion of the pie. The study took input from 1,500 US smartphone users, attempting to understand and break down their behaviors and tastes when it comes to the upcoming holiday season.
The survey showed that 91% of the respondents went to a traditional store a minimum of one time a week. 83% of those that visit stores once a week used their smartphone as part of their shopping experience. Online shopping was quite lower at 49% of the respondents saying they purchase items online at least once a week.
The top three reasons given for shopping at a store were: 67% like to see, hold and try on products before purchasing them, 51% enjoy the experience of browsing in the store, and 50% said they can take their products home immediately and do not have to wait for them to be delivered.
The survey also indicated the things that the shoppers didn’t like about going to the store to buy products. 45% reported they do not like to have to wait in line, 33% don’t like to physically go to the store, and 26% feels that the selection at the store isn’t as good as the selection they can find online.
Of the 83% that used their smartphones as part of their in-store shopping experience, the top 7 activities they performed on their phone while shopping were(in order of most frequent to less frequent):
-Price comparisons
-Normal phone use such as texting, calls, emails, etc.
-Checking email promotions
-Checking a to-do list
-Quick pics of products that can be used for later reference
-Checking online reviews of products before buying them
-Opening the mobile app for the specific store they are shopping at
The study also revealed the top 5 apps that are used while shopping in a physical retail store. The most used app is the texting/messaging on the phone, followed by Facebook, Google, Amazon.com, and the retailers own app. The report theorizes that Amazon and Google were used to research and compare prices.
The survey also asked the respondents for a list of capabilities that they would like to access on their smartphones while in the store shopping. Here’s the list of the top 6 items they mentioned:
-They indicated they want to see the stores best deals available
-They want to be able to quickly access their loyalty program/account information while in the store
-They want to see the inventory count for all the products in the store
-They want access to a map of the store
-They want a more personalized shopping experience based on their past shopping habits and preferences
-They want to be able to request assistance from a store associate
By using the information and statistics pulled from the survey, traditional retailers might be able to use personal technology devices such as smartphones to improve the users shopping experience, which in turn might bring them back to the store to purchase products as opposed to doing their shopping online by using services such as Amazon and other online shopping services.
