According to a recent study conducted by Research Now for Zebra Technologies, shoppers are very interested in Wi-Fi and location-based, in-store services like, mobile coupons (51 percent), shopping maps (45 percent) and associate assistance (41 percent).
The eighth annual installment of the company’s Global Shopper Study also revealed that more than one-third of shoppers (34 percent) believe they are better connected to real-time information than in-store associates.
“As online and mobile shopping become more prevalent and accepted worldwide the importance of the customer experience remains high – as noted by the majority of respondents who would buy more merchandise from retailers they believe provide better customer service,” said Nick D’Alessio, global retail solutions development at Zebra. “Mobile technology helps provide real-time visibility of product availability, flexible delivery and payment options – freeing retailers to focus on the shopper experience and delivering personalized service to customers.”
Sixty-four percent of shoppers said they would be willing to purchase more product if they received improved customer service, while more than half (52 percent) value retailers who leverage technology to make shopping experiences more efficient.
The survey also found that more than three-quarters (76 percent) of shoppers feel positive about shopping in stores, while almost half think technology solutions are benefitting retailers by allowing them to improve shopping experiences for customers.
Fifty-two percent of shoppers looked at items in-store but purchased them online, however, more than three in 10 shoppers would rather pickup items purchased through online or mobile channels from a retail store.
Almost eight in 10 customers are willing to share some information with retailers but, according to Zebra Technologies, retailers rank low on the list of businesses shoppers trust with personal data. Sixty-four percent value retailers who allow them to control how personal information is used.
A quick fix for out-of-stock issues was also discovered. According to the survey, retailers can recover 66 percent of out-of-stock incidents by providing shoppers with an immediate discount.
The purpose of the study, which surveyed almost 2,000 shoppers in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Australia, England, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, China, Japan and Thailand, was to discover experiences and attitudes regarding the use of in-store technologies toward enhancing customer satisfaction.