January 24, 2012
More than half (51 percent) of shoppers in the United States seek out in-store kiosks for access to the retailer's website, according to a recent survey from Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG). Among U.S. respondents, 42 percent also expressed interest in using video screens or video walls within the store to help them make buying decisions.
The study surveyed 1,000 U.S. and 1,000 U.K. shoppers and concluded that retailers must respond to technology-savvy consumers by creating digitally rich, easy-to-use, technology-based experiences in the store to expand basket size and increase margins. These experiences "mash up" physical retailing with the best of rich online content.
The survey also found that shoppers like tablets, with 35 percent of U.S. respondents saying they use or are interested in using tablets for in-store digital content delivery. Mobile phones are ahead only slightly, identified by 40 percent of respondents.
Ultimately, the research is in support of cross-channel shopping, with nearly 74 percent of all respondents admitting to conducting online research before making in-store purchasing decisions.
Read more about trends and stats.