More than three quarters (77%) of UK consumers believe that retailers are not doing enough to make shopping in stores enjoyable, according to new research from IT services company Vista Retail Support.
Consumers said that new retail technology would encourage them to visit a store, with 61% of those surveyed wanting to see kiosks, interactive screens, augmented reality (AR) and smart mirrors so that they can explore products and how they might look or work.
What’s more, half said they would buy more if they received recommendations and personalised offers on smart devices.
Two thirds (66%) of those surveyed admitted that pushy store assistants put them off purchasing items, and 63% said they give up on buying something if they see long queues at the checkout.
The findings suggest that stores lagging behind in adopting retail tech will lose out to their competitors, either in the high street or online.
Commenting on the research, James Pepper, technical services director at Vista Retail Support, said: “Consumers have less and less patience with stores that don’t have the technology in place to make their shopping experience convenient and efficient, or those which have poorly trained staff.
“Shoppers know that the new interactive touchscreens and kiosks — which are powered by AR technologies — make visits more enjoyable, and also expect retailers to adopt advances such as mobile payments to eradicate areas of frustration. When retail is so competitive, exciting technology is increasingly essential to attracting shoppers through the door.”
