Accenture: More shoppers plan to buy in-store

The Accenture Seamless Retail Survey finds about one-fifth (21%) of shoppers plan to make more in-store purchases this year. However that doesn't mean retailers have no room for improvement. Forty (40%) percent of respondents said retailers need to improve their in-store customer experience while only 16% said the same about the online experience.

"The survey results indicate that retailers have an opportunity to increase in-store sales but only if they make the experience worthwhile for consumers," said Chris Donnelly, global managing director of Accenture's Retail practice. "Consumers are looking for the conveniences of shopping online, such as information on product availability, to be available in-store. The lines between the different shopping channels are blurring, but the good news for traditional retailers is that the store continues to play an important role. In order to ensure that they offer shoppers a seamless retail experience, bricks and mortar/high street retailers must work hard to differentiate the shopping experience they offer compared to the online pure-plays."

The full report can be downloaded here.

Other interesting findings from the report include:

• 19% of shoppers are now using 'click and collect' to reserve/buy online and pick-up in-store
• 31% say being able to check in-store availability would help customer experience
• 78% have webroomed - browsing online, buying in-store, 72% have showroomed - browsing in-store, buying online
• 57% say free shipping is the most important delivery option
• 44% say free shipping orders should arrive within 5 days

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: Accenture, ecommerce, ecommerce trends, mcommerce, mobile commerce, mobile marketing