Research: 96% of shoppers use at least one digital retail tool

Most of today's shoppers use a digital tool of some sort to aid in the planning and purchase of items. It's not just the bargain hunters and cost-conscious who use digital today, says Kim Finnerty, Ryan Partnership's VP of consumer and shopper insights. "Today, such behavior is virtually ubiquitous", he said.

In fact, according to Ryan Partnership's latest research, "A Tectonic Shift in Shopping Behavior: Ryan Digital Retail Study 2012", 96% of the 8,000 primary household shoppers surveyed said they had used at least one digital shopping tool, with most using more than one.

The most-used tools were:

64% - store websites;
61% - downloadable coupons;
53% - retailer emails;
51% - search engines;
49% - brand websites.

Other digital shopping tools cited by respondents included branded social media, mobile coupons, daily deals and shopping apps.

Of particular interest are the findings surrounding the use of different digital retail tools for different shopping purposes. New brand and product trial was driven by social media from retailers whereas mobile text messages from retailers, and brands, were most likely to influence a consumer's decision of where to shop.

"Two years ago, early adopters were the only consumer segment using shopping apps and following retailers' updates on social media. Now, the vast majority of consumers are weaving these digital tools into their path to purchase," says Finnerty.

"This formative shift in shopping behavior provides a key learning for brands and retailers -- those that successfully harness the power of these tools across the entire path to purchase stand to win at shelf and beyond."

Tags: consumer insight, ecommere, m-commerce, mobile marketing, retail sector, retail tools, shopping tools, social media