Habits of the omnichannel consumer

Chances are that if there are people near you right now, some of them are probably staring at glowing rectangles or manipulating them in some way.

Obviously, at least to previous generations, things haven’t always been this way. And the implications for retailers in general and home improvement retailers specifically are as profound as they are — to borrow today’s trendy business term — “disruptive.”

Research from Stevenson Company’s TraQline shows smart-phone sales account for 74% of all new handsets in 2013, up from 57% in 2011. What’s more, data from ISI Research shows tablets and smartphones have achieved household penetration of a whopping 79%.

In other words, it’s never been more convenient to shop online. This isn’t shocking, according to TraQline’s Eric Voyer. But how that translates to the way people shop online versus in-store is increasingly important to track, he said.

The top chart studies purchase motivators, and it shows that people pull the purchase trigger online for different reasons than they do in brick-and-mortar stores. The data was created by asking consumers for their two leading motivators. And while “competitive price” leads both columns, it leads the online column by a much greater margin.

Also worth noting is the strength of “already in store buying other items” among brick-and-mortar shoppers. While it stands to reason that it is higher among these shoppers, the degree to which it is higher illustrates a key competitive advantage bricks hold over clicks.

Naturally, the Web makes it easy for consumers to look across multiple retailers, brands and even channels at a glance. What’s surprising is just how many shoppers are using the Web for these comparisons. Comparing prices is wildly popular, with nearly 3-out-of-4 shoppers engaging in this activity. As the bottom chart shows, feature comparisons, product research, reading reviews and checking for sales top the list decisively.

Research from TraQline: Market share and consumer behavior statistics from TraQline, a survey of more than 150,000 consumers tracking their purchases of consumer durable products each quarter.

VISIT: TRAQLINE.COM/HCN