A global survey of more than 32,000 consumers carried out by IBM found that when it comes to online shopping we want technology to point us in the direction of the nearest shops and 79pc of us want to get our coupons online.
IBM said the survey showed that it is now a shopper’s market, but that 61pc of consumers would spend more with a retailer if personalised offers and online stock checks were provided online.
A whopping 75pc of us want to use our mobile phones to find out where the nearest store is located, so this, in combination with the desire for customised offers, points towards mobile social networks as a potentially huge market going forward.
From a practical point of view, 66pc of consumers want to see what goods are in stock before actually going into the shops.
“We are in a shopper’s market today, because consumer access to technology and information gives them all the power,” said Jill Puleri, IBM global industry retail executive, IBM Global Business Services.
“Retailers cannot afford to sit still as this digital revolution happens. They must engage plugged-in consumers in new and different ways, on their terms, and with more bi-directional feedback and dialogue.”
Following this survey, IBM launched a new Centre of Competency (CoC) for Retail that will provide industry expertise in the areas of business analytics, customer insights and merchandising.
By Marie Boran
Photo: A survey by IBM has shown that in terms of online shopping, it’s a shopper’s market
