Showrooming trend accelerates amongst cost-conscious Christmas shoppers
The proportion of Britons using their smartphones in-store to sniff out cheaper digital deals has doubled this Christmas versus 2012, according to new research from Tecmark.
It has estimated that 50 per cent of consumers will engage in ‘showrooming’ this holiday season, more than double the 24 per cent figure recorded in 2012.
The multi-screen marketing agency hasspecified the thriftiest shoppers as those aged under 35 with 67 per cent of the demographic relying on a smartphone or tablet to secure the best deal.
Tecmark managing director Richard Heyes said: “The data gives us a fantastic insight into how advances in technology are affecting consumer shopping habits. It confirms that showrooming is growing at speed, especially amongst the younger generations - this is a trend that we expect to become common practice in time and one that retailers need to be prepared
“Consumers are becoming very clever at utilising the tools that mobile phone technology affords and have quickly realised that something as simple as an online price comparison can result in significant savings.”
The drive to shop online isn’t a universal one however with many actively discouraged by form filling and the slow check out process. Al Mackin, CEO of Formisimo, said: “After all the browsing and searching to find a great deal you’d be amazed at how many shoppers hate filling in their details in an online checkout - so much so that they go and buy from elsewhere.”
“With tempers frayed they’re less patient with processes that ask for too much information, that have errors, or that are simply confusing. On some of the busiest online shopping days of the year online retailers are losing up to 80% of their potential sales right at the end of the buying cycle”.
Findings were based on a survey of 2,000 respondents conducted through November.