A study by a leading US business school has identified five different types of showrooming shoppers and debunked common demographics myths.
Research by the Columbia Business School (CBS) has found that, contrary to popular belief, a large chunk of showroomers aren’t young, digital hipsters.
Nearly half of those who fessed up to showrooming were more than 40 years old, with 74 per cent older than 29 years old.
Showrooming is defined as visiting a store to try out products or gather information, before purchasing the product online for a cheaper price.
Matthew Quint, co-author of the study and director of Columbia Business School’s Center on Global Brand Leadership, says the findings debunk common shopper assumptions.
“Many shoppers with smartphones care about more than just the lowest price on every item,” he said of the study, which surveyed people in the US, UK, and Canada.
The study found that one in two shoppers are likely to make a purchase instore after finding helpful information on their smartphones or tablets.
The top reasons shoppers buy items instore are: they need the product right away (59 per cent) and they don’t want to wait for online shipping (51 per cent).
Half of the 3004 survey respondents said they’re more likely to buy instore if they’re a member of a retailer’s loyalty program.
CBS has identified five types of showrooming shoppers from its research, with the largest group being ‘experience seekers’ at 31.7 per cent of respondents.
Experience seekers go to stores specifically for a retail event, like a sale or party, and only shop online if buying instore is made inconvenient.
‘Traditionalists’, at 30.2 per cent of respondents, also prefer shopping instore, unlike a marginally smaller group, the ‘savvys’, who use their phones more than any other.
One in five shoppers can be classified as ‘price sensitives, who are happy to showroom but also respond well to vouchers or loyalty points.
The most reactive to showrooming are also the smallest group at 6.1 per cent, with these ‘exploiters’ happy to research and then buy online if offered things like free shipping.
