Consumers Using Mix of Digital Tools: CCIA

Retail competition is benefiting consumers with more choices, competitive pricing and innovation, a Deloitte survey commissioned by the Computer & Communications Industry Association found. Nearly three-fourths of consumers said they shopped more than one retailer on a recent shopping trip, 42% shopped two and 30% shopped three or more, said the survey. Two-thirds of shoppers used a digital device in a store to compare prices and products online; 55% started a shopping journey online before buying in store, it said. More than four in 10 shoppers said they prefer multiple fulfillment options when buying online rather than defaulting to home delivery; 46% will pay more to pick up an item in store five minutes from home rather than wait for two-day delivery, said the study. About 27% of online sales were fulfilled at a physical store last year, up from 21.7% the prior year, said the report. Small-to-medium businesses (SMB) are using omnichannel fulfillment: 61% offer buy online, pick up in store, and 50% offer same-day curbside pickup for e-commerce customers, it said. Some 99% of SMB retailers use at least one digital tool or marketplace, including retailers selling only via physical stores. “Consumers should not be viewed as purely online or offline shoppers but rather a mix of both, as they are often using both channels throughout their shopping journey,” said CCIA Director-Research and Economics Trevor Wagener.