News

Physical retail still very much a wanted channel, reveals survey

May 30, 2019

Consumers still love the physical retail store environment, with 85% of U.S. shoppers dropping into a brick-and-mortar store during a typical week, according to a RetailMeNot Inc. survey conducted by Kelton Global.

On average, physical retail shoppers visit three stores a week, and that number hits four when it comes to millennials and 5.25% for the Generation Z shopper segment. Those figures do not include grocery store or convenience store visits, according to a release on the survey findings.

"In-store retail is still the most important channel for consumers, and the role that mobile plays in the shopping journey is notable to retailers who want to reach in-store shoppers," said Marissa Tarleton, CEO, RetailMeNot, in the release. "The mobile device is the number one in-store shopping companion, which is a marketing opportunity for retailers to drive in-store footfall, incentivize sales and understand online-to-offline behavior."

Other top findings include:

• Most in-store shoppers (69%) 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.
• Nearly half (49%) have an app that collects and provides deals and discounts across retailers on their smartphones.
• 65% are receiving mobile coupons they can redeem in-store which they see as being 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.

"Mobile browsing and research are standard for most shoppers, and a substantial number of consumers are comfortable converting on either that same smartphone device or in a physical store based on what is convenient to their needs at the time of their journey," said Tarleton, in the release.