New Survey Reveals 95% of Shoppers Want to Be Left Alone in Stores Unless They Specifically Need an Associate’s Help

Spring 2018

www.hrcadvisory.com

HRC Retail Advisory recently completed an extensive consumer research study to gain a better understanding of what drives shoppers into stores and what they like to see when they get there. The study found that 95% of consumers prefer to be left alone when shopping unless they need a store associate’s help. According to the survey, many shoppers are moving away from the hands-on, personalized service traditionally provided by store associates, and instead turning to in-store technology for information before they buy, and to friends and family for advice via social media while shopping. Another takeaway from the study is that in-store environment is the most important factor in shoppers’ minds, followed by the ability to order online and pick up in-store. In addition, in-store tech offerings that fulfill customer service needs, such as price scanners and apps that provide promotional information, are much more important to shoppers than dressing room tech, mobile payment options and in-store events. HRC polled consumers across four generations to gain insight on what in-store features they value, how they use social media while shopping and how often they shop at the mall. The survey findings should guide retailers as they tailor their in-store offerings and experiences to better align with what shoppers actually want.

Study Demographics • 2,903 participants from the US and Canada

were surveyed online between February 20 and March 7, 2018

• Four age groups were studied: Gen Zers (children ages 10–17 who were recruited through their parents), Millennials (ages 18–41), Gen Xers (ages 42–55) and Baby Boomers (ages 56–73)

Key Findings Shoppers overwhelmingly want to be left alone by sales associates when shopping unless they need help. They also want an intuitive product-finding experience that allows them to maximize the efficiency of their store visit.

When it comes to checking prices, approximately 85% of consumers surveyed said that they want to be able to check prices at price scanners rather than having to ask a sales associate for pricing information. This indicates that shoppers prefer to look to tech, rather than sales associates, for certain types of customer service.

When shopping for clothing or shoes, which store features would you like to have?

While in-store environment ranked as the most important store feature overall among those surveyed, some 69% said that being able to order a technology product online and then pick it up in-store is important (shoppers want to try it before they buy it). A similar proportion, 65%, said that being able to pick up items they ordered online at a store was important when buying apparel.

In-store features that provide information or convenience tended to rank higher than other offerings. Nearly 34% of respondents ranked receiving promotional and sales information directly via smartphone when entering a store as important, and nearly 30% said that being able to pay a sales associate from anywhere in the store is important. That indicates that digital-scanning tech will play a growing role in retail.

Nearly 52% of all respondents said that an in-store personal shopper who helps them choose products is important when shopping for technology products. However, most respondents still prefer tech to sales associates when it comes to receiving recommendations, as a much higher, 76% of overall respondents rated an in-store app that provides personal recommendations as important.

Many of the shoppers moving away from hands-on, personalized service from store associates are instead looking to friends and family for advice before they buy, and they’re connecting with them via social media while shopping. Nearly 70% of Gen Z and 63% of Millennial respondents use social media to share pictures and gather opinions from their friends and family before they buy. So, it’s unsurprising that although free in-store Wi-Fi was ranked as an important store feature by only 30% of respondents overall, the rate was higher among younger shoppers, who rely on their social networks more heavily while they shop.

Survey respondents showed less enthusiasm about several of the popular technology innovations and in-store experiences that many retailers are offering. For instance, dressing room technology in apparel stores was deemed important by only 17% of respondents. And only 6% ranked customized lighting in dressing rooms as important. Mobile payments ranked only slightly higher, with about 8% of those polled saying that having the option to pay via a mobile app was important to them. In addition, only 19% of respondents said that retailers’ special events designed to foster a sense of community were an important part of a store’s offering. Events may grow in importance in years to come, however, as a slightly higher proportion of Gen Zers (24%) said that events are an important store feature.

Baby Boomers

Millennials

Finally, a store’s environment can make or break a customer’s experience. Some 84.8% of shoppers surveyed cited store environment as an important feature when shopping, making atmosphere the most important feature among all survey respondents. The ability to buy online and pick up in store was the second-most-important offering overall, valued by 61.7% of shoppers. However, respondents had divergent opinions on in-store services, depending on the retail category. Some 76.9% of shoppers think innovative technology such as in-store apps that provide personalized recommendations are important when shopping for tech products, but only 37.1% think that tech-enhanced dressing rooms are an important offering in clothing stores. Additionally, shoppers value in-store associates’ personal assistance most when shopping for tech products (51.4%), but less than 40% of respondents welcome such help when shopping for clothing or personal care/beauty items.

For more information about how HRC can assist your company to more profitably adapt to this omnichannel environment, please contact:

Antony Karabus akarabus@hrcadvisory.com Phone: 416-726-1923 Farla Efros fefros@hrcadvisory.com Phone: 416-997-9803

5 Revere Drive, Suite 202 Northbrook, IL 60062