Survey: Long checkout lines a major turnoff to shoppers

Boston -- Nearly 40% of smartphone-carrying shoppers abandon their in-store purchases due to long lines and 21% will abandon their purchases if there are no registers open, according to a survey sponsored by in-store commerce provider AisleBuyer.



The study, “Mobile Shopping Survey Series, Part 1: Mobile Self-Service,” also found that more than half of shoppers “hate waiting in line” at grocery stores (52%) and mass merchants (51%) the most. Other types of stores that scored high include: drug stores (29%); quick-service restaurants (27%); and club stores (26%).



“Nearly half of shoppers said if a line is too long they will either leave the store without purchasing anything or only buy the few items they came for, without shopping the rest of the store,” said Andrew Paradise, AisleBuyer’s CEO. “Giving these shoppers another way to pay — without having to wait in line — will increase the likelihood that they will ultimately purchase something in the store, rather than abandon the purchase due to frustration. The survey results clearly show that shoppers are interested in this alternative checkout experience — something savvy retailers are investing in as we speak.”



Other key findings from the survey include:

• Sixty-four percent of those surveyed expressed interest in scanning products from a store’s aisle using their smartphone to get additional information such as pricing, product reviews, nutritional information, related products, etc.


• Thirty-six percent have already scanned items for more information using their smartphone.


• Sixty percent of smartphone-carrying shoppers said they would use their mobile phone to pay during an in-store shopping trip if it meant they didn’t have to wait in line.