More than half of consumers shop online and offline equally

Dive Brief

At least 60% or more of consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany said they shop equally offline and online, according to a March Periscope by McKinsey report.
While the respondents said they still prefer to shop offline for items like clothes, home furnishings, groceries and beverages, the report found that more consumers are spending online on travel or other entertainment purchases such as movies, books, music and games. However, the consumers who shop mostly or exclusively online did so because they reside in urban areas where cross-channel shopping opportunities are already abundant, the report also found.
Between mobile and desktop, mobile is becoming the more important channel for online shoppers, according to the report. Given the advancements in mobile smartphone capabilities, ranging from mobile point-of-sale to augmented and virtual reality, retailers need to make their smartphone presence a seamless part of the point-of-sale experience, the report concludes.

Dive Insight:

The findings here should be of no surprise to marketers given that 71% of consumers pick up their phones while shopping to check out reviews and compare prices, according to recent research. More retailers are aware of the blurred line between brick-and-mortar and online, and they already have mobile shopping applications as a top priority.

Recent news coverage and customer wariness may mean marketers should pay more attention to security. News of Facebook's massive plaintext password leak is the latest in a steady stream of disappointing cybersecurity stories that aren't doing much to allay consumer fears about privacy.

When it comes to security, more than half of consumers across the U.S., U.K., France and Germany, are most concerned about their information being shared with third parties, followed by credit card fraud. Other concerns included being contacted without their explicit permission, and Gen-Z and millennial consumers are increasingly worried about privacy, the report found.

Going forward, marketers need to address consumers' security and privacy concerns, which differ slightly depending on the market. German and U.K. consumers ages 18 to 39 don't want their in-store movements tracked, and French and American consumers of the same age group worry about putting payment information online, according to the report. It will be critical for marketers to blend the online and offline shopping experience without crossing a line.