Survey: Personalization critical component of in-store experience
Engaging in-store customers with personalized and relevant messaging is key to loyalty, according to a new survey.
The 20th Annual POS/Customer Engagement Benchmark Survey from Boston Retail Partners shows 79% of consumer respondents said personalized service from a sales associate is an important factor in determining at which store they choose to shop. In turn, 53% of surveyed retailers indicated personalization is one of their top customer engagement priorities.
Survey results also demonstrate that in-store customers increasingly expect an omnichannel shopping experience. Sixty-three percent of surveyed consumers use their mobile phone while shopping in a store to compare prices, look for offers/coupons, check inventory availability, etc.
Another 56% of consumers responded they are more likely to shop at a retailer that allows them to have a shared cart across channels, while 50% said they are likely to allow retailers to save purchase history, personal preferences and personal details if it eases the checkout process and allows for more personalized offers.
Retailers are responding to these omnichannel trends in varying levels. Forty-nine percent of surveyed retailers indicate that the customer mobile experience is one of their top customer engagement priorities and 63% plan on having the ability to use a customer-owned mobile device as a POS device within three years. Meanwhile, a whopping 94% have or plan to implement a single unified commerce platform within three years, up from 81% in 2018. Sixty-one percent have implemented end-to-end encryption to offer customers greater security of their personal and payment data.
“As customer expectations for an increasingly customized experience increase and evolve, retailers are adopting new ways to identify customers and personalize their shopping journey,” said Perry Kramer, senior VP and practice lead at BRP. “Retailers continue to offer more mobile services from a consumer-facing and associate-facing perspective that include personalized recommendations, loyalty rewards, coupons, discounts and promotions.”
The 20th Annual POS/Customer Engagement Benchmark Survey from Boston Retail Partners shows 79% of consumer respondents said personalized service from a sales associate is an important factor in determining at which store they choose to shop. In turn, 53% of surveyed retailers indicated personalization is one of their top customer engagement priorities.
Survey results also demonstrate that in-store customers increasingly expect an omnichannel shopping experience. Sixty-three percent of surveyed consumers use their mobile phone while shopping in a store to compare prices, look for offers/coupons, check inventory availability, etc.
Another 56% of consumers responded they are more likely to shop at a retailer that allows them to have a shared cart across channels, while 50% said they are likely to allow retailers to save purchase history, personal preferences and personal details if it eases the checkout process and allows for more personalized offers.
Retailers are responding to these omnichannel trends in varying levels. Forty-nine percent of surveyed retailers indicate that the customer mobile experience is one of their top customer engagement priorities and 63% plan on having the ability to use a customer-owned mobile device as a POS device within three years. Meanwhile, a whopping 94% have or plan to implement a single unified commerce platform within three years, up from 81% in 2018. Sixty-one percent have implemented end-to-end encryption to offer customers greater security of their personal and payment data.
“As customer expectations for an increasingly customized experience increase and evolve, retailers are adopting new ways to identify customers and personalize their shopping journey,” said Perry Kramer, senior VP and practice lead at BRP. “Retailers continue to offer more mobile services from a consumer-facing and associate-facing perspective that include personalized recommendations, loyalty rewards, coupons, discounts and promotions.”