Retailers: Get Connected!

If you’re a retailer who’s not connected, consider this your wakeup call!

At the National Retail Federation’s 103^rd Convention & Expo, the fourth-annual research study of shopper behavior by Cisco Consulting Services revealed a startling reminder that shoppers love the internet.  

According to the study, 80 percent of U.S. consumers, use the Internet when they shop. And a growing percentage of shoppers regularly use their smartphones for their shopping decision-making, the number nearly doubled to 18 percent of the sampled population. Today's shoppers are more connected and expect a more integrated online and in-store shopping experience than ever before.

The data is the result of an online survey of 1,174 participants that are representative of the U.S. broadband population. A few other key findings were: 

The Internet influences most buying decisions.  Roughly six in 10 (59 percent) reported that they regularly research products in stores before purchasing the products online.  Although 75 percent of Digital shoppers expect access to information/Internet when shopping, half of consumers (51 percent) prefer to use the retailer's mobile app when shopping in the store.

Also of interest, the majority (52 percent) of digital shoppers are willing to share information with retailers if they get discounts on their next purchase. 

Finally, 50 percent of digital shoppers and 29 percent of all consumers were interested in retailers offering suggested shopping lists for home improvement projects, recipes, and accessories for outfits via webpage or digital signs in the store.

This data serves as another reminder that it is crucial for retailers to connect with consumers on digital platforms.  You can’t afford to just be a brick and mortar store, if shoppers can’t connect with you online, they’ll go elsewhere,