Showrooming the cause of half a billion pound 'leak' from UK High Streets

Research by experience design agency Foolproof reveals the true impact of showrooming - a practice where consumers armed with mobile devices price-check items while in-store against other retailers.

Their research of 1,000 shoppers, conducted through Usurv, showed that a quarter (24%) of all UK shoppers participated in showrooming in the run-up to Christmas. The practice was most prevalent among younger mobile users - 39% among 18-39 year olds - dropping off to just 18% among those age 40 and over.

Foolproof also asked shoppers what they did after checking a price via mobile. Four in 10 showroomers, or 1 in 10 of all shoppers, said they walked out of a store empty-handed and made the purchase elsewhere, either at another store or online.

"Our research uncovers the true impact of showrooming on the UK High Street over the Christmas period," according to Foolproof's company blog. "It shows that 1 in 10 shoppers switched purchases from one retailer to another as a direct result of showrooming. Or put another way, half a billion* pounds of business walked out of the door to a competitor."

**Based on British Retail Consortium data of £5bn High Street spending over the weekend before Christmas.

Tags: high street, mobile shopping, price comparison, retail trends, shopper insight, showrooming, UK