76 percent of Christmas shoppers act on personalised smartphone offers

In case there was any doubt email is still the number one marketing channel to reach consumers, a new survey by Visa Retail reveals 76 per cent of consumers are more likely to visit shops that have sent them a personalised offer on their smartphone.

The survey also finds 25 per cent of shoppers are also more likely to spend more.

The latest research comes as retailers across the UK look to attract as many holiday shoppers as possible and also highlights customer preference with online verses high in-store.

Despite reports of online sales eating into the profits of physical retailers, over 89 percent of the respondents plan on shopping on the high street this Christmas either as a sole source for gifts or hand in hand with online shopping. The top reasons cited for continuing to do so were the ability to inspect potential gifts (75 percent), the festive atmosphere (47 percent) and the lack of delivery times that are unavoidable with online shopping (35 percent).

Shoppers not keen on retail chaos or inattentive staff

But shopping in-store isn’t without its faults. Among the most notable complaints from respondents were ‘a general feeling of chaos’ i.e. items scattered on the floor (73 percent), long queues (70 percent), inattentive or unknowledgeable staff (37 percent) and overbearing Christmas music (14 percent).

James Pepper, Technical Services Director at Vista said, “regardless of whether shoppers decide to take a ‘the more, the merrier’ approach, retailers will find that a hassle-free and personalised shopping experience is at the top of their wish lists. Research clearly shows that the proper execution of retail technology carries strong benefits for all periods of the customer journey, from enticing them to enter a store all the way to ensuring they’re taken care of at the till."

“As retailers prepare for the annual flurry of Christmas shoppers, they must ensure they set themselves apart from their competitors on the high street and online. By ensuring the right solutions are in place, retailers can guarantee their customers and stakeholders have a happy Christmas.”

Photo credit: Mobile phone marketing, source: Horsepower 360