Survey: In-store shoppers opt for mobile devices over associates

4/30/2019
Mobile technology plays a major role in brick-and-mortar shopping, according to a new survey.

Results of a recent study of U.S. consumers conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of RetailMeNot, Inc. indicate 69% of in-store shoppers would rather consult a product review on their phone than ask a store associate. More than half (53%) would rather use a mobile device to find deals and offers on products they are considering purchasing than discuss promotions with an in-store associate.

In addition to using their phones as assistants in stores, the survey demonstrates consumers are leveraging their devices to seek out deals that can be redeemed in-store:

• Nearly half (49%) of respondents have an app that collects and provides deals and discounts across retailers on their smartphones.

• 65% of respondents say receiving mobile coupons they can redeem in-store is important when shopping in physical stores.

• 69% say receiving a personalized offer on their phone that they can use in-store would make them more likely to visit a physical retail location.

• Americans are 30% more likely to complete a purchase in person than on their smartphone when they find a deal on their phone.

• 38% of shoppers who begin their journey on a smartphone and 43% of shoppers who begin their journey on a desktop complete their purchase in a physical store.

• While 64% of shoppers complete their purchase in a physical store, 39% start their shopping journey on a mobile device and 14% begin on a desktop.

In good news for brick-and-mortar and omnichannel retailers, survey results also show that physical stores still play a major role in retail. Eighty-five percent of respondents shop in a non-grocery physical retail store during a typical week, visiting up to three stores on average. That average goes up to four stores per week among millennial shoppers and 5.25 among Generation Z, excluding grocery and convenience stores.
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