Bazaarvoice 2022 State of Omnichannel Shopping: 70% of shoppers use phone in-store to research before buying

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022  – Bazaarvoice, Inc., the leading provider of product reviews and user-generated content (UGC) solutions, today released its latest research, based on a survey of more than 6,000 global shoppers. The report reiterates that the line between online and offline shopping continues to blur and become more fractured. Consumers are looking for a seamless shopping experience across all channels – whether that be online, in-store, through a mobile app, or social media – requiring businesses to embrace the ROBO (research online, buy offline) economy. 

“Not having a robust omnichannel strategy is now a key barrier to success,” said Ainslie Fincham, Marketing Director at Urban Barn. “We work to make every avenue available to our shoppers helpful in making a decision to convert, no matter where they end up making a purchase – be it in-store, online, or via social media.”

Global survey highlights include:

• Shoppers want a mix: When asked what mode of shopping they felt happiest in, only 8% of shoppers said online, 25% said in-store, and 66% said a hybrid of both. 
• However, age matters: Those aged 25-34 most enjoy a hybrid of shopping methods (75%), those aged 65+ most prefer shopping in-store (37%), and those aged 18-24 most prefer shopping online (12%)
• As always, price point is key: After seeing a product online, 80% are more likely to go in-store when it has a high price, 54% say to see the quality, and 46% said to get instant ownership.
• UGC always matters: UGC forms 7 of the top 10 types of research shoppers prefer to utilize before buying: product ratings, written reviews from verified buyers, expert reviews, questions and answers, recommendations from friends/family, shopper photos of the product, and visual reviews from verified buyers. 
• Shoppers are social: One in five said they shop on social media, mostly from Facebook shops (41%), via influencers’ Instagram stories (37%), and via ads on Instagram (36%). 
• Online research is universal: Both online (79%) and in-store (59%) shoppers conduct research online prior to purchasing
• Almost two-thirds of shoppers use their smartphone in-store: To look at price comparisons (69%), product reviews (60%), advice from friends/family (33%), and product demos 30%).

“Consumers are savvier than ever before, researching products before buying them using every touchpoint available, making shopping less segmented than ever,” said Zarina Lam Stanford, Bazaarvoice CMO. “This allows businesses to scale UGC to their advantage. Providing it online, on social media, and even in-store, presents the research materials that shoppers crave no matter where they are.”

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About Bazaarvoice

Thousands of the world’s leading brands and retailers trust Bazaarvoice technology, services, and expertise to drive revenue, extend reach, gain actionable insights, and create loyal advocates. Bazaarvoice’s extensive global retail, social, and search syndication network, product-passionate community, and enterprise-level technology provide the tools brands and retailers need to create smarter shopper experiences across the entire customer journey.

Founded in 2005, Bazaarvoice is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in North America, Europe, and Australia. For more information, visit www.bazaarvoice.com