With Smartphones, Consumers Sharper Than Stores

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So turns out you’re not the only one amazed at how much more you know about products than the average sales associate in a smock: A new poll from Motorola finds that 61% of retail managers think so, too.

Last year, 59% agreed that consumers are typically better connected to product information than their in-store associates. Shoppers second that, with the feeling strongest among Gen Y (46%), followed by Gen X (38%) and roughly a third of Baby Boomers.

And just-released research from SapientNitro reveals that 70% of shoppers wish retailers would do more to enhance the in-store experience with technology, including allowing them to buy in store but have products shipped home for free, which 79% would like; free Wi-Fi (63%); and interactive displays or kiosks (57%). 

Smartphone users would also like to see promotional store circulars on their phones (56%) and in store navigation devices (59%). 

The survey also reveals that that majority -- 51%--are “showrooming.” This holiday season, 33% of digital users have first gone into a store to investigate an item, with the idea of buying it later online. And 40% -- up from 33% last year -- say they have gone into a store after researching the product online, while 27% bought a product online after shopping for a similar item in a store.

Interestingly, the survey also found that while consumers want more shopping in their lives, 62% wish stores wouldn’t open earlier on Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, forecasters are pulling back a bit on earlier holiday spending forecasts. ShopperTrak, which tracks mall traffic and sales, says it is lowering its prediction to a sales gain of 2.5% this season, down from 3.3% projected in September. While the company still anticipates a 2.8% gain in foot traffic, the first increase since 2008, it says it is lowering the estimate based on the amount of heavily-discounted merchandise, as well as the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy.

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2 comments on "With Smartphones, Consumers Sharper Than Stores ".

1. Julian Gibson from Cognitive Currency LLC
   

   commented on: December 21, 2012 at 12:37 p.m.
   This was a great article. Marketers should implement the data discussed here when constructing their 2013 mobile marketing strategies. Retailers must realize that consumers have several options and pathways to making a purchase, smart retailers and marketers will service all of those pathways with offers for discounts, conversions and loyalty programs. For more insight on topics such as this, follow me on Twitter: @MobileWhisperer
2. David Deering from Touch Point Digital Marketing Agency
   

   commented on: December 23, 2012 at 7:02 p.m.
   Hopefully more businesses will begin to realize how necessary mobile is to their business, and also how they need to be proactive against showrooming customers. In the end, every business needs to be involved with mobile in one way or another, and at the very least making sure that their web site is mobile-friendly. Good article.

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