California Apparel News

In a survey released during the National Retail Federation’s Big Show and annual conference in New York, the IBM Institute for Business Value found that consumers’ growing enthusiasm for online shopping and “digital interaction with retailers” is not matched by their actual behavior.

According to the study, “consumer expectations are not being met” and there are “clear opportunities for retailers to close the gap and create new loyalty.”

The study gathered data from more than 110,000 consumers in 19 countries over four years. According to the survey, “43 percent of consumers said they prefer to shop online, [but] only 29 percent actually made their last purchase online.” In some categories, such as youth apparel and home decor, the gap between shopping and purchasing is wider.

There was a similar split when consumers were asked about sharing information such as GPS location with trusted retailers. The survey found that 42 percent said they saw a “potential benefit” to sharing their location, but only 28 percent were actually willing to do so. There were similar results when the consumers were asked if they would allow retailers to contact them via text messaging. Fifty-four percent said they could see the benefit of allowing it, but only 42 percent said they would actually share this information.

“With consumers switching seamlessly from online to the store it might appear that retailers have finally struck the right balance, but IBM’s study identifies a significant gap between what shoppers want from retailers and what they are getting today,” said Sarah Diamond, IBM Global Business Services general manager, in a statement. “Retailers may not be doing enough to meet consumer expectations shaped by digital experiences outside of retail—from location-based services to preference-based apps. The good news is that this gap also indicates the potential growth for retailers who can meet those consumer expectations.”

When asked what information consumers wanted from retailers, inventory visibility ranked high on the list. Sixty percent said they wanted to be able to determine if an item was in stock before they visited the store, and 46 percent recommended that retail employees use mobile devices “to fix an out-of-stock issue.”

Consumers also wanted personalized promotions both online and in-store. Forty-one percent recommended that store associates offer personalized promotions “based on their purchase history or preferences.”