Survey: Shoppers happiest when using online and in-store touchpoints

The line between online and offline shopping continues to blur.

A majority (66%) of consumers said they feel happiest with a hybrid of both in-store and online shopping experiences, according to a survey of more than 6,000 global shoppers from user-generated content (UGC) solution provider Bazaarvoice Inc. When asked what mode of shopping they felt happiest in, only 8% of shoppers said online. One-quarter said in-store, and 66% said a hybrid of both.

Age plays a role in shopping preference. While 75% of consumers age 25-34 feel happiest with a hybrid of both in-store and online shopping experiences, only 56% of respondents age 65 and older do.

In addition, almost two-thirds of respondents use their smartphones in-store, primarily (69%) for looking at price comparisons, followed by product reviews (60%), getting advice from friends and family (33%) and viewing product demos (30%). 

Other notable findings include:

• One in five respondents said they shop on social media. Top social media shopping destinations for these respondents include Facebook shops (41%), via influencers’ Instagram stories (37%), and via ads on Instagram (36%).  
• Eight in 10 respondents who shop online (79%) and six in 10 respondents who shop in-store (59%) conduct research online prior to purchasing. 
• User-generated content (UGC) forms seven of the top 10 types of research respondents prefer to utilize before buying: product ratings, written reviews from verified buyers, expert reviews, questions and answers, recommendations from friends/family, shopper photos of the product, and visual reviews from verified buyers.
• After seeing a product online, 80% of respondents are more likely to go in-store when it has a high price, 54% to check the quality, and 46% to get instant ownership. 

“Consumers are savvier than ever before, researching products before buying them using every touchpoint available, making shopping less segmented than ever,” said Zarina Lam Stanford, Bazaarvoice chief marketing office. “This allows businesses to utilize the voice of the consumer to their advantage. Providing it online, on social media, and even in-store, presents the research materials that shoppers crave no matter where they are.” 

More information on the survey is available here.

Millennials like e-commerce, deals, social media
Another recent survey reveals the increasingly digital shopping habits of highly desirable millennial consumers age 25-40. According to the Millennial Shopping Habits Trend Report from real-time coupon code search engine and directory CouponFollow, four in five (80%) surveyed millennials now do most of their shopping online, up from 60% in 2019.

More than half (56%) shop mostly on their mobile devices, up from 36% over the same period. And close to eight in 10 (78%) respondents now follow brands on social media (up from 57% in 2017). More than half (54%) admit their shopping habits are most influenced by Facebook (28%) and Instagram (27%). TikTok is the main social media platform shaping the shopping habits of 12% of all millennials and 16% of younger millennials aged 25-29.

Interestingly, one in three (30%) respondents made at least one purchase using cryptocurrency in the past year, up 8% since 2019.