Two words for those working as store associates in retail: bank tellers. A new survey by Accenture on how consumers use mobile devices to shop shows that a large majority prefer to get information they need on products and pricing from their smartphone rather than talk to a store employee.
According to the research, 73 percent favor their smartphone to handle "simple tasks" in stores rather than speaking with an employee. Seventy-one percent, for example, would prefer to use their smartphone to find out if an item is in stock versus 17 who would take the talking with another human approach.
"Smartphones will permanently change the relationship between the store and the shopper," said Janet Hoffman, managing director of Accenture's Retail practice, in a press release. "Today's tech-savvy consumer wants a seamless shopping experience across store, mobile or online at a time that suits them. Ultimately, this trend will lead to a new definition of the store; purpose, place and size are all up for debate. Already we are seeing some shoppers treating stores more like a showroom to test products and then making their purchase online."
Expanded use of smartphones brings a number of challenges for retailers.
"Companies need to use all of their customer information to better understand how and when their customers want to engage with them, ask them questions or just check some basic product details," said Ms. Hoffman. "Only then can they deliver a personalized and enjoyable experience, while lessening the risk of alienating customers through unwanted approaches."
Discussion Questions: In what ways do you think smartphones will most affect how consumers shop? Conversely, how will retailers need to change their approaches to meet changes in shopping behavior?