Survey: Push notifications will drive more showroom shoppers to buy in-store
BOSTON — As many as 53.8% of shoppers who use their mobile devices inside physical retail locations are researching and comparing prices of different stores. And 41.5% are researching and comparing features of different brands, according to a Burst Media and Rhythm NewMedia survey released Thursday.
However, retailers who use push notifications within their locations hold a slight advantage in encouraging in-store purchases. Three-quarters (76.8%) of respondents who report receiving mobile push notifications in-store for promotions read the alerts when they come through — and 67.2% usually redeem what is being offered.
"To be successful this holiday season, marketers must embrace making consumer connections on mobile platforms," the researchers stated. "These connections can be accomplished and amplified through owned and operated platforms (i.e., mobile optimized websites and mobile apps), as well as through mobile advertising opportunities and mobile extensions to television and interactive display campaigns," they said. "When paired with mobilized sites on browsers or within installed apps, mobile rich media specifically can be a very effective branding and direct marketing vehicle — especially when location-based targeting (e.g., geo-fencing within a mile radius of a physical retail location) is applied. Additionally, mobile in-stream video can be an extremely effective tool to massively distribute a brand's message with sight, sound and motion."
More consumers will be tapping into their smartphones to showroom as 39.5% of respondents who use a smartphone and/or tablet to shop plan to use their mobile devices more this holiday season vs. last.
As of mid-October, more than one-quarter (27.2%) of respondents have started shopping for the holidays. This figure nearly doubles the 2013 finding for the same period.
Among respondents who will research holiday items on their mobile devices, 58.8% say they will do so to assist in making online purchases, 46.2% say they will do so to help with offline purchases and 33.3% will make purchases directly on the device.
Conducted in the first half of October 2014, Burst Media and Rhythm NewMedia surveyed 786 U.S. online adults ages 18 years or older. The study focused on why consumers use mobile devices while shopping within a brick-and-mortar store location as well as how and when they plan to shop this year for the "traditional" December holidays such as Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza.
