A 2012 study found that more than half of its
respondents expected bricks-and-mortar retailers to be showrooms for online
merchants by 2020. Now, a new report from the Columbia Business School and
loyalty management firm Aimia paints a more optimistic picture for traditional
retailers.
The report found that while 70% of the 3,000 consumers polled had showroomed at least once
in the last year, just 6% went into the store with a plan to buy online after
seeing the product in person. It also found that more than 50% were more likely
to purchase in-store when they used a mobile device to find online reviews or
other information.
“Our findings contradict many of the common assumptions
about the threat of showrooming,” David Rogers, professor at the Columbia
Business School and an author of the report, told GigaOM.com.
“Many [customers with smartphones] are not showrooming but looking for the
right information to be confident in their purchase.”
The study reported that most mobile shoppers use their
device to check prices, but that convenience, urgency, and immediacy are
reasons why they will make a purchase in-store instead of online. In addition,
48% said loyalty programs made them more likely to purchase in-store, even if
they found equal or cheaper prices online, while services such as
price-matching, free home delivery, and extended warranties also kept them in
stores.
“Retailers don’t have to resort to automatic
price-matching,” said Rick Ferguson, co-author of the report and vice president
of knowledge development at Aimia. “M-shoppers show a strong willingness to
join loyalty programs in exchange for rewards, and this gives retailers the
chance to build long-term relationships with them.”
