Almost
three-quarters of in-store shoppers (74 per cent) believe the use of
technology such as smartphones, touch-screen kiosks and contactless
payment terminals will make shopping on Black Friday a better experience
by providing information and discounts along with quicker and more
personalised service.
More
than half (53 per cent of respondents in a survey conducted by Vista
Retail Support, a retail technology support and IT services business,
say going online via their smartphone is the first step they will take
to access product information when they are in a store on Black Friday
(November 27). For 44 per cent, the smartphone is where they look for discounts or to compare prices.Only 32 per cent would go to the product on the shelf for information and just 9 per cent would ask a sales assistant.
“Black
Friday is now fixed in the retail calendar and many store operators are
keen to build on the success of last year,” said James Pepper,
Technical Services Director at Vista Retail Support. “Yet in a crowded
store, lack of information and slow service can lead to frustration
among shoppers. If store operators are to avoid bad headlines on Black
Friday they need to put technology at the heart of their preparation.”
Although
71 per cent of those surveyed said they would be going bargain-hunting
on Black Friday, 72 per cent said they would not enter a store if it was
too crowded, while the majority (59per
cent) said they would be put off by long queues. More than a third (34
per cent) said they would quit if they could not easily find what they
wanted.
Patience
with queueing is very limited, with 30 per cent saying they would wait
no longer than five minutes to pay for their bargains. Only 14 per cent
were prepared to wait up to 20 minutes, although 5 per cent were
prepared to queue for more than half-an-hour.
“With
increased footfall predicted for Black Friday, retailers need to adopt
every method available to make sure shoppers keep coming through their
doors,” added Pepper. “The smartphone is becoming an indispensable tool
for many shoppers as they go online to check prices, download
information or look for offers and discounts.
“This
makes a slick omnichannel experience and installation of completely
robust in-store connectivity a necessity for retailers, along with
technology such as contactless payments that will cut queueing and ease
the customer journey at a stressful time.”
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