Online doesn’t necessarily trump brick-and-mortar when it comes to convenience.
Seventy-six percent of consumers surveyed reported convenience as their top motivation for shopping in-store, and 56% cited speed of purchase as a top motivator, according to new research commissioned by global branded payments provider Blackhawk Network. Although digital growth in retail continues, traditional modes of shopping and payments such as in-store purchasing and cash maintain a strong foothold in U.S. retail consumer behavior.
The report finds that despite widespread retail innovation and disruption, traditional brick-and-mortar retail shopping remains relevant. Sixty-three percent of consumers surveyed are purchasing in-store as often as last year. Twenty-eight percent of consumers said they are using retail stores more frequently, compared to only nine percent of shoppers who report using retail stores less often. And 92% of shoppers report being somewhat or very satisfied with the in-store shopping experience, more than other purchasing options.
In other findings, traditional payment methods still dominate. Payment option usage among those surveyed has remained steady, but how the payment options are being used is changing. For example, paying through a retailer's app still requires a credit card or debit card, but it is uploaded to and used through the app.
Credit cards ranked as the top (52%) payment method among shoppers surveyed, followed by cash (43%) and debit cards (42%).
Additional findings include:
• Online shopping on a laptop or desktop computer with delivery selected is the second most frequently used shopping method. According to the research, 46% of consumers surveyed currently use this method to shop at least monthly.
• Consumers are utilizing multiple channels for online purchasing. Forty-nine percent of consumers surveyed purchase on a laptop or desktop computer at least monthly, and 41% purchase on their mobile phone.
• Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to shop using their mobile phones. Eighty-one percent of Gen Zers and 83% of millennials surveyed have used a mobile purchasing option, compared to just 69 percent of Gen Xers and 43% of boomers.
• Digital gift cards continue to gain momentum. Physical gift cards are still preferred by in-store shoppers surveyed, but digital and physical gift card usage has evened out online. Eleven percent of shoppers surveyed report using digital gift cards as a top method of payment online, compared to 10% for physical gift cards.
• There is growing interest in points-based payments, especially among younger generations surveyed. Twenty-nine percent report paying with points more often than they did last year. Additionally, 70% of consumers surveyed said they are somewhat or very interested in paying with points.