»  Shoppercentricity

Pew just released analysis of how shoppers shopped during the holidays. While it should come as no surprise to regular blog readers that technology continues to shift shopper behavior, this study in particular illuminates just how shopping experiences are changing.


The highlights:

• 50% of US adults used their phones while they were in the store
• 52% used their phone for one of these three reasons charted above
• 33% used their phone to look up product reviews or compare prices
• 20% decided to make their purchase at an online retailer vs. in-store

The implications are pretty far reaching. The path to purchase continues to be fluid - it is no longer about activities that happen in physical locations (ie research at home) but more about what information is accessed and how it influences the purchase. Shoppers continue to evolve their approaches to purchase, allowing information (reviews, pricing, etc) to influence their purchase decisions like never before.

Have you changed the way you approach retail activation? As shopper engagement continues to migrate into a customized blend of physical and digital, it is essential that marketers also blend their approaches. After all, with studies like these it is becoming impossible to ignore the fact that the phone is the shopper's best friend. It should also be a marketer's best friend.