In-store shopping is preferred for a number of reasons, says survey
Who says the brick-and-mortar experience is dead? A new survey released by Nielsen suggests many American consumers prefer shopping in-store for a multitude of reasons, ranging from safety to reliability.
While shopping online was voted the overall favorite by 59 percent of the respondents polled, they noted there are several instances in which they would rather head to a physical storefront. For example, more than three-quarters (77 percent) said shopping in-store was safer than buying products online. Additionally, 69 percent said it was more reliable and had fewer chances for disruptions, such as shipping information getting jumbled up.
On the flipside, the survey also noted some key areas where customers preferred other shopping channels, and this insight could be used to improve store operations. For example, only 13 percent of respondents said in-store purchasing was the most convenient, compared with 68 percent of online shoppers and 38 percent of mobile buyers.
Another pain point is ease of use – only 20 percent said brick-and-mortar shopping was easy, compared with 68 percent in favor of online shopping and 27 percent for mobile purchasing. Overall, only approximately one-third of respondents (31 percent) agreed that shopping in-store was their favorite way to buy retail goods.
Improving store operations
With the Nielsen survey in mind, it's crucial that brick-and-mortar retailers integrate this data – they need to be looking for ways to bolster their convenience and ease of use.
In terms of convenience, many retailers are deploying new technology such as tablets to help engage shoppers. With a combination of high-value retail software and new mobile devices, sales associates can help customers by answering questions about products, checking inventory of goods and providing them with coupons and other incentives. This provides more value to customers and encourages them to shop – and more importantly, buy – from brick-and-mortar locations.
Ease of use is another area that can be addressed by technology. Merchants shouldn't be afraid of outfitting their stores with technology that enables shoppers to research products, read reviews and run price comparisons. Some retailers, such as Best Buy, are already rolling these solutions out in-store.
Retail Pro is one of these solutions, and can be leveraged as a way to better manage inventory and improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
