Channel Collision: Drivers of Online and In-store Shopping Are Not as Sharply Divided as you Think

Nuremberg, Germany (ots/PRNewswire) -

Traditionally, the primary drivers for online shopping are seen as
being consumers' desire for better price, time saving and choice, in
particular access to the 'long tail'. In-store shopping, on the other
hand, is seen as driven by the better experience delivered face to
face and the ability to take home your purchase straight away.
However, GfK's FutureBuy study reveals that the division is not as
clear cut as expected.

GfK asked 23,000 shoppers within 17 industries across APAC, LATAM,
Europe, North America and the Middle East to think about the last
time they were deciding whether to purchase something online versus
in a store, and indicate what swayed their decision one way or the
other.

The most important factors that shoppers say swayed their decision
to make their purchase online rather than in-store are: saving money
(the clear leader at 55 percent), easier shopping (28 percent), a
better selection of goods (26 percent) and faster shopping (25
percent). The fifth most popular factor was equally divided, with one
in five shoppers (21 percent) saying they chose online because they
get better information there, and the same number saying it was
because they are routinely shopping there already.

Most important factors driving a choice to purchase online

1 Save money (better pricing, deals) 55%
2
Shopping is easier 28%
3 Better
selection 26%
4 Shopping is faster
25%
5= Get better information
21%
5= I'm routinely shopping there already 21%

Source: GfK FutureBuy survey of 23,000 shoppers in APAC, LATAM,

Europe, North America, Middle East

Overlap in driving factors

However, four of those reasons for deciding to buy online also
show up in the top five most important factors that drive people to
buy in-store.

For purchases where shoppers chose to buy in-store rather than
online, the leading factor swaying that decision are because they can
see and feel the products before they buy (51 percent) - no surprise
there. However, the next most popular reasons are more interesting.

A third (33 percent) said they chose to make a specific purchase
in-store rather than online because shopping is easier in-store -
compare this to the 28 percent who felt that online shopping was
easier. The next highest reason for choosing in-store is that returns
are less hassle (29 percent), closely followed by the fact that the
shopper is routinely shopping there already (28 percent). The fifth
most popular influencer for buying in-store was equally divided
between getting better information and saving money (both 22
percent).

Most important factors driving a choice to purchase in-store

Let's me see and feel the products
1 before I buy
51%
2 Shopping is easier
33%
3 Returns are more hassle-free 29%
4
I'm routinely shopping there already 28%
5= Get better
information 22%
5= Save money (better
pricing, deals) 22%

Source: GfK FutureBuy survey of 23,000
shoppers in APAC, LATAM,
Europe, North America, Middle East

James Llewellyn, a director of shopper research at GfK, comments,
"These results point toward two key implications. The first is that
the drivers for physical retail versus online retail are not
differentiated to the extent that we expect. For example, expert
advice is not a key distinguisher one way or the other. To sustain
footfall, it is therefore imperative that retailers (and their
manufacturer partners) innovate to create reasons to visit, to
increase propensity to buy your store, category or brand. We expect
that, despite a brief hiatus, physical retail touchpoints will become
more important than ever.

"The second implication is that, to succeed in the future, retail
needs to create synergy between on and offline, not diversity. In the
end it's the same shoppers looking to fulfil the same need states
with the same products and services. In future there will be less
debate about on and offline, and renewed focus on the fundamentals of
choice, price, convenience and experience, and how to meet and exceed
shopper expectations in each and across all"

View more insight on international shopper trends in GfK's Future
of Retail report:
http://connected-consumer.gfk.com/future-of-retail/overview/

Contacts: James Llewellyn, Director of Shopper research, GfK /
+44(0)20-7890-9911 / James.Llewellyn@gfk.com

ots Originaltext: GfK SE
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