Staying current on the latest retail customer trends can help businesses tailor their marketing and sales efforts to drive up sales and draw in customers. The latest report from Interactions, a retail solutions provider, indicated that most women research products before they buy, and the majority do so through merchant websites.

According to the survey findings, 91 percent of women research before they buy, and good reviews are enough for 92 percent to pay more for a particular brand. Conversely, negative reviews are enough to turn 67 percent of female shoppers off from buying an item. Most women (60 percent) turn to retailer websites to find these reviews, while only 3 percent check social media sites, making it increasingly important for retailers to focus on ecommerce software and marketing strategies. More female shoppers are also using their mobile devices to research, with 37 percent whipping out their phones while at brick-and-mortar locations.

"These numbers speak to the impact that mobile is having in the retail industry," said Giovanni DeMeo, Interactions' vice president of global marketing and analytics. "Consumers want information on their terms and their schedules, which means that both retailers and manufacturers need to adapt, if they haven't already." 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, March 20th, 2014 at 7:59 am .