The $460 Billion + Opportunity: More an 60 Percent of U.S. Tech-Savvy Shoppers Will Choose Stores Based on Ability to Offer Online Services

The $460 Billion + Opportunity: More Than 60 Percent of U.S. Tech-Savvy Shoppers Will Choose Stores Based on Ability to Offer Online Services New Study Finds That Shoppers Want to Experience the Internet of Everything in Stores During Holidays

Tech Savvy Shoppers

SAN JOSE CA, November 21, 2013: Recent Cisco research found that U.S. retailers have the ability to grow profits by more than $460 billion over the next 10 years by leveraging the Internet of Everything (IoE), and today a new study shows retailers how to begin to capture that value. According to a Zogby Analytics poll commissioned by Cisco, an emerging class of "tech-savvy shoppers" overwhelmingly looks for ways to use smartphones and the Internet to save time and money while shopping in stores.

These tech-savvy shoppers represent nearly half of all Americans. They find it valuable when stores offer free Wi-Fi, apps for smartphones, the ability to order out-of-stock items while in a store and digital couponing. Most important, these shoppers are planning to make purchasing decisions based on the advanced online services offered by retailers.

More than 60 percent of tech-savvy shoppers said that they would be more likely to visit or shop at a store that offers smartphone apps and other in-store online services. And these shoppers have the money to spend. Nearly 30 percent of tech-savvy shoppers live in households that earned more than $100,000 per year more than double the rate of all other shoppers.

"Consumers want the best of both worlds this holiday season they want the social aspects of in-store shopping coupled with the benefits enabled by the Internet of Everything," said Blair Christie, Cisco senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "This study shows that retailers who make investments in advanced technologies will be rewarded by tech-savvy shoppers with a larger discretionary income as well as build increased brand loyalty with young shoppers."

18-to-24-Year-Olds: The Future of Tech-Savvy Shopping

According to the study, the most tech-savvy of all in-store shoppers are the first generation of smartphone natives: 18-to-24-year-olds. The Zogby poll found that more than 80 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds own a smartphone, yet more than 75 percent plan on doing the majority of their holiday shopping at retail stores.

These consumers in particular want to combine the power of their smartphones with their desire to shop in stores. More than 95 percent found it valuable to receive holiday discounts/coupons via text or smartphone apps, and to use their smartphones to quickly check prices and order out-of-stock items with free delivery when shopping in a physical store.

However, retailers are currently missing out on an important way to connect with this coveted demographic, as only 29 percent of young consumers have used a retailers app on their smartphone. So, why such a small adoption rate from these uber-techies? Almost 40 percent reported that they didnt even know that retailer smartphone apps existed. This implies that retailers have a significant opportunity to increase awareness of or create apps, mobile websites, and other smartphone offerings and to connect with shoppers through technology while they are in the store.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Attitudes

Key findings regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday include:

Forty-eight percent plan to shop on Black Friday, and 51 percent plan to shop on Cyber Monday.

Seventy percent of those who shop on Black Friday will do most of that shopping in-store.

More than one-third of shoppers will start their holiday shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

Sixty-four percent would find it valuable to reserve products online at special Black Friday prices based on loyalty points/past purchases with the store.

Growing Role of the Smartphone and Other Retail IoE and Tech Trends

Other key insights about smartphone use and future retail IoE and tech trends include:

Twenty-eight percent of all respondents would find it valuable if the store they were shopping in had smart mirrors that based on what they were trying on could offer complementary products and help them visualize them.

One in three shoppers is interested in retail programs that could use their profile and shopping history to alert their smartphone when they are near items that they may like in the store.

More than 40 percent would use a smartphone app to secure a checkout appointment time and bypass waiting at a retail store cash register line on Black Friday or throughout the holiday season.

Profile of the Tech-Savvy Shopper:

Age:

Income:

76% are younger than 49

43% are 18 to 34

39% earn more than $75K per year

29% earn more than $100K per year

Marital Status:

Other:

57% are married

46% have children under 17

38% ONLY have a mobile phone

59% are active social networkers

The Internet of Everything is the networked connection of people, process, data, and things. Cisco released an IoE Value at Stake White Paper earlier this year that found that global businesses could pursue as much as $14.4 trillion over the next decade by leveraging IoE to improve operations and customer service. The retail industry has the ability to grow profits by more than $1.5 trillion $461 billion in the United States alone over the next 10 years as "everything" within retail operations comes online. To find out more about this research and the IoE, please visit internetofeverything.com.

The Zogby Analytics interactive survey was commissioned by Cisco. The survey of 1,004 adults, conducted from Oct. 17 to 18, has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.

About Cisco Systems:

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