High delivery prices and virtual online shopping experience cited as reasons for preferring in-store shopping
Over two-fifths (41 per cent) of consumers prefer to shop in a department store or on the high street, compared to 29 per cent who like to shop online, according to research by Udozi.
According to the research, high delivery charges (44 per cent) and the ‘virtual shopping experience’ found when shopping online (24 per cent) are cited as the top reasons for people preferring to shop in-store.
The Udozi Consumer Shopping Trends report found that 29 per cent of smartphone users and 30 per cent of tablet users are being put off using their mobile devices for shopping because they don’t like having to download multiple shopping apps for different stores.
Alan Gabbay, founder of Udozi, said: “In today’s digital age, constantly connected consumers have come to expect access to their favourite brands and retailers when on the move. But even though a large chunk of online Brits now own Internet enabled devices that they can make purchases from, mobile and online alone simply can’t compensate for the in-store shopping experience, as the majority of people still want to ‘try before they buy’ and speak to experts in-store.
“What’s key is that retailers learn how to marry all these channels together, especially as mobile is clearly influencing consumer shopping behaviour as people are searching for items they want on the go. That’s what we’re trying to do at Udozi. We’re trying to help consumers find whatever they are looking for around them, from phones to prams, so they can check stock and reserve it in-store. We believe that mobile has the potential to connect the dots between the online and offline worlds – and ultimately drive consumers back to the high-street.”
According to the Udozi research, 11 per cent have used their mobile device to find discounts and offers before going into stores to collect them; with 26 per cent of smartphone users and 35 per cent of tablet owners using their devices to browse for products online before going in store to make a purchase.