It seems customer service is proving less important to consumers, with a new survey confirming shoppers prefer to seek advice via the digital domain.
Customers are increasingly turning to technological assistance during shopping outings, with Mintel revealing that in the US 45 per cent of beauty consumers prefer to search for product information in-store on mobile devices, rather than ask for assistance from a sales associate. Two in every five customers, or 39 per cent, like to use a store-provided tablet, particularly when it comes to researching the beauty products available for purchase. Digital preference is today proving so strong that 16 per cent of consumers choose to shop where sales associates will leave them alone.
Senior research analyst Diana Smith believes stores should take note of this knowledge, incorporating digital into sales techniques even in bricks and mortar stores. “Smartphones and tablets are playing an increasingly pivotal role in the beauty retail experience. Brands should assume that their audience has a connected device at their fingertips at all times and should look to leverage behavioral research in order to better understand when and how consumers are using these devices.
“The beauty category is ripe for an explosion of technology-driven innovation – it’s a fun category where personalisation, individualism and experimentation meet and flourish. A great example of this is connected stores which allow consumers to shop how they choose while giving them unique ways to try out products on their own before buying, regardless of a salesperson’s availability.”
