Survey: Consumers want more connected store experiences

3/19/2019
Brick-and-mortar stores remain dominant, but customers want omnichannel options in the physical store.

According to “The Future of Shopping: connected, virtual and augmented,” a new survey including results from more than 1,100 U.S. consumers from Periscope By McKinsey, 50% of U.S. respondents say the bulk of their shopping activity in the past year was in-store. The smartphone and computer channels tied for second place at 19% each. Interest in voice-activated, Internet-connected devices appealed to only about 5% of U.S. shoppers.

However, more than 60% of U.S. consumers engage equally with online and offline shopping channels. U.S. respondents showed strong interest in using their smartphones in-store: Sixty-five percent are definitely/probably likely to opt for making payments at the cashier with their smartphones, and 60% intend to make more use of their phones to scan-pay-go in the future.

More than 60% of U.S. respondents have never encountered virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) technology in a brick-and-mortar store, but show interest in these solutions. Sixty-two percent of U.S. consumers would definitely/probably use VR/AR applications that provided more information, and 59% would definitely/probably use VR/AR applications to see a product “in context,” such as visualize a paint color on a wall.

Furthermore, 64% of U.S. respondents would use a VR-enabled digital shelf to browse products, and 59% would to receive product recommendations. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. consumers would use a VR-enabled digital shelf outside a store’s location to make purchases.

Looking at security concerns around connected store experiences, the survey indicates 38% of U.S. consumers said their top concern is the need to surrender phone and email information (38%), closely followed by sharing payment card information online (37%).
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