Showrooming Report: Selling to the 'Mobile-Assisted Shopper'

Shelf Awareness

The showrooming attitudes, shopping patterns and motivations of 3,000 "leading-edge consumers" in the U.S., U.K. and Canada were the subject of a new Columbia Business School/Aimia report from titled Showrooming and the Rise of the Mobile-Assisted Shopper. Although not specifically focused on the book industry, the study's aim is to show retailers "concrete steps they can take to entice consumers armed with mobile devices to make purchases inside their store walls." Among the report's key findings:

• 74% of M-shoppers are older than 29 years old.
• More than 50% of M-Shoppers are more likely to purchase a product in-store when their mobile device helps them find online reviews, information, or trusted advice.
• Although "price checking" is the number one action of M-Shoppers, convenience, urgency and immediacy are the top three reasons why M-Shoppers will buy in-store even if they find the same product cheaper online.
• 48% of M-Shoppers say that being a member of a store's loyalty program makes them more likely to purchase products in-store, despite equal or cheaper prices online.

"Our findings debunk many of the common assumptions about the threat of showrooming and who is doing it," said Matthew Quint, a co-author of the study and director of Columbia Business School's Center on Global Brand Leadership. "Many shoppers with smartphones care about more than just the lowest price on every item. In fact, while roughly 25% of M-Shoppers may require a discount to motivate in-store purchases, a clear majority can be enticed to purchase in-store through information assistance, engagement strategies, and strong loyalty rewards programs"