More than 80% of Shoppers Believe They’re More Knowledgeable than Retail Store Associates

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As brick-and-mortar retailers fight harder than ever to remain relevant with shoppers who increasingly choose to shop online, a new survey unveils a startling finding – 83% of shoppers believe they’re more knowledgeable than retail store associates. However, the survey from Tulip Retail, a mobile application platform built exclusively for retail stores and sales associates, also uncovers good news for store-based retailers – 79% of survey respondents say knowledgeable store associates are “important” or “very important.” Additionally, 64% of respondents believe physical retail locations will be part of the shopping journey in the future, which is welcomed news by retailers that are faced with headlines today questioning the existence of brick-and-mortar down the road.

“Our survey had some sobering findings that should keep executives of brick-and-mortar retailers up at night – the fact that nearly 90% of respondents shop at Amazon and that store associates are not meeting customer expectations,” said Ali Asaria, CEO of Tulip Retail. “But there’s also some really good news for retailers that our survey uncovered – knowledgeable store associates are valued by shoppers, and those empowered with mobile technology are delivering better shopping experiences. Bottom line, investing in store associates needs to be a high priority. With the right tools, they can become beacons of knowledge, trusted advisors and drive sales.”

Additional key findings from the survey include:
•Nearly 50% said a knowledgeable store associate who is able to suggest products based on their purchase history would encourage them to shop in-store
•72% that dealt with a store associate who uses a mobile device to provide things like product info, credit card checkout, and inventory look-up, said it resulted in a better shopping experience
•73% would be interested in having a store associate text or email them about the status of their order or that their order has arrived in the store
•53% believe that store associates are either “very valuable, very helpful” or “valuable, helpful”
•Almost 30% know the store associates by name at the retailers they visit
•77% believe the biggest advantage of shopping in-store is the ability to touch, try on, and see products
•63% prefer to shop both in-store and online

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