Survey: In-store shopping sentiment rises, mobile devices play key role
Despite the growing presence of e-commerce, in-store shopping is still popular for a large number of American consumers.
More than half (61%) of respondents report shopping in-store specifically because they enjoy the experience, which includes trying items on, comparing products and more, according to logistics firm Ryder System’s 10th annual e-commerce consumer survey. That's up 21% from last year's survey.
In other findings from Ryder's “The Influence of Omnichannel Excellence on Consumer Behavior" study, 35% said they shop in-store because they don’t want to wait for online orders in the mail (up 4% from last year), and 15% shop in-store to avoid package theft (up 8%).
When it comes to purchasing apparel and cosmetics products, shoppers are more inclined to make purchases in a physical location than they were last year. Forty-one percent of shoppers who buy cosmetics say they prefer to do so either in a brand’s physical retail location or a department/convenience store (up 9%). More than half (54%) prefer to buy clothing in brick-and-mortar locations (up 9%).
More than half (55%) of shoppers (+15%) said they would rather return online purchases in-store, which is the first time since early 2020 the preference to buy online, return in-store has outweighed returning via mail. Forty percent of shoppers often make additional purchases when picking up or returning online purchases in-store (+2%).
Even when shopping in-store, consumers are still extremely reliant on mobile devices. The 2024 Ryder survey reveals that nearly eight-in-10 (77%) consumers search for items on their mobile devices while in a store.
Sixty-nine percent use their phones to compare prices with items in nearby stores, 58% check availability at other stores, 31% want to learn more about a product, and 17% want to see other items frequently purchased with a product they’re considering.
[READ MORE: Survey: Online holiday shopping intentions continue to rise]
“Retail and e-commerce continue to evolve,” says Jeff Wolpov, senior VP of e-commerce for Ryder. “The emergence of e-commerce and growth of omnichannel fulfillment, particularly over the past four years, has altered consumer expectations and behavior dramatically and will continue to do so as time and technology allow. This latest study demonstrates that, while consumers maintain a robust appetite for e-commerce, they are simultaneously embracing in-person shopping, presenting an impetus for merchants to refine their omnichannel strategies.”
Ryder Systems surveyed 1,306 U.S. shoppers for its 2024 report.
