Tenth Annual Zebra Shopper Survey Reveals One-Half of Millennial Shoppers Better Connected than Retail Associates
Heightened fulfillment requirements transform expectations as
two-thirds of shoppers prefer next-or same-day delivery
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Zebra
Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), the market leader in rugged
mobile computers, barcode scanners and barcode printers enhanced with
software and services to enable real-time enterprise visibility, today
revealed the results of its 2017 Global Shopper Study, the 10th
annual survey analyzing shopper satisfaction and retail technology
trends. The body of research revealed that while 44 percent of surveyed
shoppers are still not satisfied with staff availability and customer
service, overall shopper satisfaction has significantly improved since
the study’s inception a decade ago.
While four in 10 shoppers surveyed in Zebra’s tenth annual retail survey
cited being better connected to consumer information than store
associates, more than half believe store associates armed with the
latest technology improve the overall shopping experience. And although
44 percent of in-store and 53 percent of online shoppers remain not
satisfied with the returns/exchange process, 62 percent of those
surveyed appreciated associates’ use of handheld mobile devices in-store.
KEY TENTH ANNUAL RETAIL SURVEY FINDINGS
-
Rising shopper expectations continue to outpace retailer in-store
technology investments as a majority of millennial shoppers perceive
that they are more connected than store associates. When asked
about how well-connected they are with consumer information, 53
percent of millennial shoppers believe they are better connected than
store associates – compared to 32 percent of Gen X shoppers and 15
percent of boomer shoppers. -
Shoppers want faster delivery, but many aren’t willing to pay for
it. Heightened customer expectations for delivery are transforming
the retail
landscape. While 66 percent of shoppers want next-day or same-day
delivery and 37 percent prefer same-day or sooner, 27 percent would
not want to pay for shipping at any speed. -
Retail customers want a variety of fulfillment options. 80
percent of those surveyed purchase items in-store and either take them
home or ship from store to home. Shoppers are also taking advantage of
other fulfillment options, such as buy online – ship to home (64
percent), buy online – pick up in-store (34 percent) and buy online-
ship to alternative location (15 percent). -
The use of tablets in stores is improving the shopper experience.
More than half of surveyed shoppers believe technology is improving
the shopping experience with 57 percent specifically citing store
associates using tablets. -
Out-of-stocks continue to plague retailers. When shopping
in-store, 70 percent of shoppers have left without purchasing what
they were seeking. However, when it comes to out-of-stock issues,
retailers can recover six in 10 incidents with discounts or
alternative fulfillment options, such as ship to home.
REGIONAL FINDINGS
-
Fifty-eight percent of North American shoppers said they have
“show-roomed,” or looked at items in a store and purchased them online. -
In Europe and the Middle East, 64 percent of shoppers would be willing
to purchase more merchandise if they received better customer service
and 52 percent value retailers who use technology to make the shopping
experience more efficient. -
Nearly one-half (48 percent) of Latin American shoppers trust sharing
personal data with retailers. Moreover, retailers rank low on the list
of institutions that shoppers trust with personal data. -
In Asia-Pacific, 32 percent of shoppers would prefer to go to a retail
store to pick up items purchased online or through mobile channels. -
More than half of shoppers in both Asia-Pacific and Europe are
interested in Wi-Fi and location-based in-store services such as
mobile coupons.
SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
-
Zebra’s 10th annual shopper study included nearly 7,500 shoppers from
North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East
who were interviewed in September 2017 by online research partner
Qualtrics.
SUPPORTING QUOTE
Jeff Schmitz, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer,
Zebra Technologies
“The results of the 2017 Shopper Study indicate consumers around the
world believe that retailers have come a long way over the past decade
to enhance the in-store shopping experience, but shopper expectations
continue to rise at an exponential rate. Retailers continue to invest in
their physical stores; we see this with an increasing overall store
count and growth in convenience and mass merchant retail. Sales
associates armed with the right technology tools are better equipped to
serve customers and increase revenue by providing the visibility and
actionable insight into product information, inventory and fulfillment
options that bring the online experience into the physical store.”
ABOUT ZEBRA
With the unparalleled operational visibility Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA)
provides, enterprises become as smart and connected as the world we live
in. Real-time information – gleaned from visionary solutions including
hardware, software and services – give organizations the competitive
edge they need to simplify operations, know more about their businesses
and customers and empower their mobile workers to succeed in today’s
data-centric world. For more information, visit www.zebra.com
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ZEBRA and the stylized Zebra head are trademarks of ZIH Corp.,
registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners. ©2017 ZIH Corp. and/or its
affiliates. All rights reserved.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Bill Abelson
Zebra Technologies
+1-631-738-4751
bill.abelson@zebra.com
or
Industry
Analyst Contact:
Kasia Fahmy
Zebra Technologies
+1-224-306-8654
k.fahmy@zebra.com
