In-store shopping is seeing a resurgence as retailers
continue to provide consumers with convenient and exciting purchase
experiences. And with the holidays approaching, it’s important for retailers to
evolve their in-store strategies to encourage repeat shopping.
According to a September 2019 report from branded payments provider Blackhawk
Network, 28% of US internet users said they shopped in-store more often this
year vs. last year, and 63% said the frequency with which they shop in-store
has remained consistent over the past two years.
“While certain segments of brick-and-mortar have gotten a bit stale, many other
retailers—both incumbents and upstarts—have done an exceptional job at evolving
the in-store experience to match the needs of modern consumers,” said Andrew
Lipsman, principal analyst at eMarketer. “We often hear about the need for
‘experiential retail’ without defining what that means. In some cases, it can
mean a more entertaining or interactive retail experience, but not every
retailer can or should aspire to that. Instead, it can be as simple as creating
an aura and ambiance where people want to spend some time rather than trying to
get in and out as quickly as possible.”
Blackhawk found that 82% of US boomers ages 55 to 74 said they made purchases
in a physical store at least monthly. And the popularity of in-store shopping
doesn’t stop there: According to a June 2019 report from consumer research
platform CivicScience, while in-store shopping tendencies vary slightly by age,
nearly 49% of millennial internet users surveyed—those ages 25 to 34—said they
conduct the majority of their shopping in-store.
Read more about how experiential retail can encourages greater in-store shopping for consumers this holiday season on the eMarketer website HERE
