Research by Fujitsu Ireland found that consumers expect more from their experience using technology in retail stores and many shoppers feel the in-store technology in Irish stores is either ‘quite often poor’ or ‘very poor’. Common complaints about the tech experience available include it being too slow (45%), unreliable (32%) and immobile (14%).
The research found that many shoppers say that they make use of in-store technology including digital enquiry points, stock-monitoring applications and mobile tablets, every time they shop (24%) and three in ten(29%) were less than impressed with the experience. Fifty per cent of Irish shoppers point to the ability to browse and buy in person as their primary reason for visiting a physical store. Following this, a quarter (27%) of shoppers mainly hit the high street for “in-store shopping experience”.
Close to a third (31%) of Irish shoppers believe that staff are not adequately trained on the technology they are expected to use. This statistic is in stark contrast to another section of the report in which a massive 91% of retail staff feel fully confident using the technology provided.
Despite this, the report highlights the potential for technology to enhance the instore experience of both consumers and staff. Half of consumers (49%) within the study stated that the available technology serves to speed up the service they receive. A third (34%) cite the ability to access additional product information as a bonus, while personalised offers and vouchers (25%) are also a draw for customers.
Well over half of shoppers within the study say that both the quality of in-store technology directly affects their loyalty to a particular retailer (59%) and that they have proactively chosen to buy an item from one store over another because they knew they would enjoy a better technology experience (57%). Interestingly (76%), say that a positive technology experience would increase the likelihood of them purchasing additional items.
