• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, October 11, 2016

When it comes to smart devices, home security seems to be what drives consumers to stores.

The majority of sales associates say home security is the top category of what consumers in their stores tend to purchase, based on new research.

But when it comes to smart devices already owned and desired by shoppers, things that control temperature are more likely to be on the minds of consumers, based on a pair of surveys conducted by Creative Channel Services, a unit of the Omnicom Group, for Twice.

One study was a survey of 185 shoppers and the other of an unspecified number of sales associates in multiple retail categories, including big-box national chains, mobile carriers, office supply stores and specialty stores.

Sales associates say there is little activity around connected kitchens but lots of interest in home security devices. Here’s what salespeople say is the first smart-home device customers tend to buy:

• 59% -- Security
• 42% -- Thermostat/climate control
• 29% -- Entertainment controls
• 24% -- Lighting
• 3% -- Connected kitchen

Consumers also have different interests in different brands, according to salespeople. Here are some of the smart product brands that sales associates say are most popular with customers:

• 28% -- Nest
• 18% -- Samsung
• 5% -- Apple
• 4% -- Sony
• 3% -- D-Link
• 3% -- Honeywell
• 3% -- LG
• 2% -- Wemo
• 1% -- Whirlpool

The shoppers in the survey may be predisposed to connected things, since they may have been in the store looking to add to their smart home devices, since most (79%) of them already own a smart device.

The most commonly owned device was a device to control the thermostat/climate and the least was the connected kitchen, which was consistent with what the sales associates said. Of devices owned, 38% were thermostats, 19% security devices and 17% lighting.

In the next year, 27% expect to add smart lighting, 23% smart thermostats, 20% security systems and 18% entertainment controls.

Consistent with other studies, price is a major factor for adding smart devices. Half of consumers said they were concerned about cost of smart devices and 71% of sales associate said the same thing.

Of course, there also are other concerns customers express to salespeople. Tops of those are personal data privacy (81%) and installation (79%).

If the Internet of Things was easy, it would already be done.