Mobile Deployments Improve Store Experience for 67% of Shoppers

When store associates and managers are equipped with the latest mobile devices, more than two-thirds (67%) of shoppers say it contributes to a better in-store experience, according to a recent study that surveyed both consumers and store employees. The latter group is even more enthusiastic about mobile devices; 75% say they allow them to improve the shopping experience.

The enthusiasm for mobility on both sides of the retail equation may be explained by another finding of the Motorola Solutions Holiday Shopping Survey: that the majority (61%) of shoppers believe they are better connected to consumer information – including coupons, competitive pricing and product availability – than store associates.

Not surprisingly, a sizeable group of shoppers is anxious to use their mobile devices within brick-and-mortar stores: 38% say they would be likely to use a retailer's wireless Internet access to search for product information and post to the Web while shopping, and 43% would be likely to use a store-supplied smartphone application that creates a map from their shopping list providing them with the most efficient route through the store to complete their purchases.

Consumer mobile devices are only one of several types of self-service technologies shoppers use to gather data: 83% of shoppers use a price checker, while 65% mention self-checkout payment lanes and 59% identify information kiosks.

For retailers, improving the in-store experience by closing the "knowledge gap" with shoppers is a high-stakes priority. Among surveyed store associates and managers, 83.3% believe that shoppers can easily find a better deal, so customer service is more important than ever in making a sale and building customer loyalty. The study also indicates that 33% of all store visits end with an average of $125 unspent due to a combination of inefficient payment methods, deal-habituated consumer behavior, out-of-stock products and limited assistance from store associates.

The study is based on two surveys conducted from November 26 to December 13, 2011. Shopper survey respondents were selected from the Research Now Consumer panel, with 1,231 consumers aged 18 or older completing the survey without knowledge of Motorola Solutions' sponsorship. The survey of retail associates was completed by 393 respondents from the Research Now Business panel, who likewise had no knowledge of Motorola's sponsorship.