Shoppers want in store smartphone offers

81% of shoppers would take up a retailer’s offers sent to their smartphone while shopping in-store, but 91% have never received one.

These were the findings of a smartphone offers survey conducted by Vista Retail Support.

The poll also showed that 40% would welcome price comparisons sent by a retailer to their smartphone while in-store.

Richard Cottrell, sales and marketing director for Vista Retail Support said: “Retailers are not utilising technology to make personalised offers to their customers. Yet the survey shows shoppers are open to this form of interaction, giving retailers a wealth of new opportunities.”

78% of respondents said they check prices with their smartphones in-store either frequently or occasionally, with electrical goods being the most popular searched category (90%), followed by clothes and shoes (46%), toys (35%) and food and drink (11%).

The survey also showed how consumers are increasingly using click-and-collect, with 65% saying they would use it for Christmas shopping. 30% said they use the service to avoid the Christmas crowds in shops and 15% said it removes the hassle from shopping. The same number said convenience in collection times is the key factor in its favour.

When it comes to shopping in a store, only 9% said they are prepared to pay more for in-store service and staff expertise. The largest group (49%) said price is what matters most, whether online or in-store.

Cottrell added: “The reluctance to pay more for in-store expertise reflects the growing sophistication of consumers. People are prepared to pay more for in-store advice about more personalised products such as bicycles and sports equipment. Yet when it comes to technology and electrical goods, there is already a wealth of information on the web they can access.”