New research by Aprimo, a Teradata company, in collaboration with Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru, found that one in five consumers is now "showrooming" – the practice of visiting retail stores to try products, but then checking a mobile device for the best price online. Of those consumers already showrooming, 33 percent say they ultimately used the information to buy elsewhere. The trend is only expected to continue growing, too, as 96 percent say they plan to use their smart phone to research prices the same way or more in the future.
Aprimo's survey also found:
The showrooming trend is just getting started, and it's ready to explode – one third of those who have not used their smartphones for in-store research haven't done so simply because the idea hadn't yet occurred to them. Showrooming isn't just for big ticket items – while consumer electronics are the most popular items price-checked in store (39 percent), groceries (37 percent) are the second-most researched and apparel/footwear (33 percent) came in third. Showrooming behavior pays off for retailers with lower prices – more than half of consumers report discovering lower prices online than in the store. Only eight percent recall seeing higher prices.
