L’IAB, en partenariat avec Ipsos Media CT, s’intéresse dans une récente étude “Showrooming: Empowering Consumer Electronics Shoppers”, aux consommateurs d’électronique grand public et décrypte l’influence du mobile sur les achats « in stores » et online, les évolutions des comportements d’achats et explore ainsi plus largement le phénomène du « Showrooming ».

1. Showrooming:
Empowering
Consumer Electronics
Shoppers
February 20, 2012
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2. Contents
Introduction and Topline Summary 3
Research Results 6
Appendix 21
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3. Introduction and
Topline Summary
3

4. Introduction
• This Showrooming: Empowering Consumer Electronics Shoppers
Study focuses on consumer electronics and explores the influence of
mobile devices on the shopping process, general shopping behaviors
in physical stores/online and “showrooming”.
• Ipsos fielded the online survey with 482 consumer electronics
shoppers (past 6 months) in February with its HearWatchSay (HWS)
community. Quantitative results were supplemented with qualitative
input about shopping and showrooming behaviors.
• HWS is an online community whose members are media forward
enthusiasts of movies, TV, technology, gaming.
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5. Topline Summary
Key Insights
• 86% of consumer electronics shoppers surveyed did their shopping online, while 74% shopped in a physical
store.
• Nearly one third (31%) of consumers used their mobile device for shopping related activities while in a store.
• Among in-store shoppers, over a quarter of consumers intended to showroom by trying out the products in
the store and then buying online. However, more than half of in-store consumer electronics shoppers
intended to buy the product in the store.
• In line with showrooming expected behaviors, close to three-quarters of consumers who went to a store went
there to try out a product..
• Over 3 in 4 consumers did some form of online research prior to going to a store, while 6 in 10 did so after
visiting a store.
• Shoppers who used their mobile device while in the store were more likely to do online research after their
store visit.
• Whether doing research before, during or after going to the store, the most popular research types done
were: checking prices, reading reviews and looking up product features.
• Over 4 in 10 consumers who ultimately made an online purchase used their mobile device in store for
showrooming/shopping related activities.
• Price is the top driver of consumer electronics purchases online. Convenience and the ability to try/see the
products are the top reasons for purchases in the store.
• Biggest spenders did in-store research on a mobile device.
• In-store mobile users were much more likely to make unplanned purchases while shopping: 1 in 3 bought
something spontaneously in the store, 1 in 4 bought something spontaneously online.
• On average, mobile device owners and those that use their mobile device while shopping spend more on
consumer electronics. (However, this could be due to increased frequency of purchases and not increased
spending per occasion).
• Over a third of shoppers recall seeing ads for consumer electronics they were shopping for. Among these
shoppers over 7 in 10 report seeing digital ads. 5

6. Research Results
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7. Where Did You Shop for Consumer Electronics?
• 86% of Consumers Shopped Online
• 3 Out of 4 Shopped in a Physical Store
Q1a. Did you shop ONLINE for the following products?
Q1b. Did you go to a physical STORE to shop for any of these products?

8. More Than Half of In‐store Consumer Electronics
Shoppers Intended to Buy the Product in the Store
• Over a Quarter Intended to Showroom, by Trying Out
the Product in the Store and then Buying Online
“I always first go to the store
to look at a product and
then buy it online (especially
off of Amazon).”
Q1c. Did you intend to buy the product when you went into the store?

9. Three‐Quarters of In‐Store Shoppers Went There to Try
Out the Product
• Nearly Half Visited the Store for Convenience or Price
• Service Was Not a Key Driver of In‐Store Shopping
“Even though I may buy
the product online I do
like to go to the physical
store so I can actually see
it and perhaps try it”
“It's great to check out phones
(new iPhones, iPads and other
tablets, TVs) and really get to feel
and touch and try them in a store”
“I go to the store for service. If
the employees are friendly and
knowledgeable and try to help
me find the perfect item for me
I'll most likely buy it from them.”
“If I have a coupon that I can
only use in store and it beats an
online price then I will go there
for sure to do that.”
Q2. Thinking about the products you recently shopped for, please tell us why you went to a
physical store. Please select all that apply.

10. Over 3 In 4 Consumers Did Some Form Of Online Research
Prior To Going To A Store
• Top Research is Checking Prices, Reading Reviews And Looking
Up Product Features
“Any and all price/product
research is done on my
computer before I even set
foot outside the door!”
Yes (Net)
78%
“I am a big comparison
shopper and will
always check prices
and reviews on higher
ticket items before
going to a store.”
Q3. Still thinking about the products you shopped for in a store, did you do online research
BEFORE you entered the store?
Q4. What type of online research did you do BEFORE visiting the store(s)? Please select all that
apply.

11. Nearly One Third Of Consumers Used Their Mobile Device
For Shopping Related Activities While In A Store
• Smartphones Were The Most Common Device Used
“When shopping,
I'll use my phone
to compare prices
at stores.”
“Using a smartphone
has made it much
easier to check out
deals online while I'm
shopping in a store.”
“I have not used my
smartphone as yet in
the shopping process
but do intend to in the
future.”
Q5. Did you use your mobile device for any shopping-related activities WHILE IN THE
STORE(s)?

12. In‐Store Mobile Usage:
• Most Checked Prices While in the Store
• About Half Read Reviews
• About One Third Scanned Bar Codes and Sought More Info
“I mainly use my phone
to look up prices and
reviews while I'm
shopping. I've found the
Amazon PriceCheck app
to be particularly helpful,
because you can just scan
the barcode and it finds
the product (and other
comparable products) for
you.”
Q6. How did you use your mobile device WHILE SHOPPING IN THE STORE(S) for consumer
electronics? Please select all that apply.
Q7. How does using your mobile device while at a store impact your shopping experience?
Q8. Did you plan to use your mobile device as part of your shopping process?

13. Two‐Thirds of Shoppers Who Use Their
Mobile Device in the Store Say it Makes
Them More Likely to Buy the Product
Q6. How did you use your mobile device WHILE SHOPPING IN THE STORE(S) for consumer
electronics? Please select all that apply.
Q7. How does using your mobile device while at a store impact your shopping experience?
Q8. Did you plan to use your mobile device as part of your shopping process?

14. In‐Store Mobile Device Users Were More Likely to
Do Online Research AFTER Their Store Visit
Q9. Did you do any online research AFTER visiting the store(s)?

15. Nearly 6 In 10 Shoppers Did Online Research After Visiting
a Store
• Checking Prices and Reading Reviews are the Most Common
Post‐Store Visit Activities
• Research Activities are Similar Whether Before, During or After
Shopping
Yes (Net) “My husband will go
look at products at a
58% store and then shop
on line to compare
prices and look for a
better deal.”
Q9. Did you do any online research AFTER visiting the store(s)?
Q10. What type of online research did you do AFTER visiting the store(s)? Please select all that
apply.

16. About 6 in 10 Consumer Electronics Shoppers Ultimately
Made a Purchase
• Shoppers Were Evenly Split Between Purchasing Online
or In‐Store
Purchased (Net)
59%
Q11. Where did you end up purchasing your consumer electronics product(s)?

17. Those Who Used Their Mobile Device in the Store Were
More Likely to Make a Purchase
• In‐Store Mobile Users Were More Likely to Buy Online
• However, Nearly One‐Third Did Make a Purchase In‐Store
Used Mobile Device IN STORE for Shopping
Related Activities
4 in 10
Showroomed
““While I was shopping in Walmart
… I saw a better prices for it online. I
went home and brought it for a
cheaper price online and had it
shipped free to Walmart!”
Q11. Where did you end up purchasing your consumer electronics product(s)?

18. Top Reasons for Shopping Online vs. In Store
• Price Is the Top Driver of Online Purchases
• Convenience and the Ability to Try/See the Products are the
Top Reasons for In Store Purchases
Q11. Where did you end up purchasing your consumer electronics product(s)?
Q14. Why did you purchase the following Consumer Electronics ONLINE vs. in a STORE?
Q15. Why did you purchase the following Consumer Electronics in a STORE vs. ONLINE

19. Top Reasons For Shoppers Not Making A Purchase:
Cost, Just Looking, Not Being Ready
Q12. Why didn’t you end up buying the product(s)?

20. Biggest Spenders Did In‐store
Research on a Mobile Device

21. Over A Third Of Shoppers Recall Seeing Ads For Consumer
Electronics They Were Shopping For
• Among These Shoppers Over 7 In 10 Report Seeing Digital Ads
35% of people
recalled seeing ads
Digital (Net)
71%
Q17. Do you recall seeing any ads for Consumer Electronics around the time that you were shopping for
the product(s)?
Q18. Where did you see these advertisements for Consumer Electronics?
Q19. Did seeing the following digital ad(s) influence your decision to visit a store or online retailer?

22. In‐Store Mobile Users Were Much More Likely to
Make Unplanned Purchases While Shopping
• 1 in 3 Bought Something Spontaneously in the Store
• 1 in 4 Bought Something Spontaneously Online
Q13. While you were shopping for your product, did you end up buying any other Consumer
Electronics products

23. On Average, Mobile Device Owners And In‐Store Mobile
Device Users Spend More On Consumer Electronics
Mean
Spent = $891 $1,010 $533 $1,539 $929
Q16. How much have you spent on Consumer Electronics over the past 6 months?

24. More Consumers Engage In Pre‐Shopping Research
• Most Lucrative Buyers Do In‐store Research
• Most Mobile In‐store Shoppers Do Post‐Store Research

25. Appendix
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26. Top Comments
Key Verbatims
• “I showroom every single electronic item that I buy. I want to be able to try it out before buying but I also want the lowest price when
purchasing so I end up finding a lower price online every time. I have never found a price at a store that I couldn't beat online. Why would
anyone pay a higher price to buy an item in a store?”
• “I think the bar for "showrooming" has really been set by Apple. Of course you can actually buy Apple products in the store but the prices
are crazy and for lots of other reasons it is less about taking the sale on the spot and more about planting the seed (and offering amazing
after sales support). The experience of playing around with a product, uninhibited with the fun atmosphere and friendly help of the Apple
store is what sold me on the actual product. Showrooming is especially important for mobile devices, if something is going to be attached to
my hip and used every day of my life I have to know how it looks, feels, carries (will it fit in my pocket?) and the user interface.”
• “I'm definitely a window shopper and technology has only increased this tendency. I enjoy just going and walking around stores on my
lunch break or even some evenings or weekends because it's relaxing, but I'm never one to take a deal at face value - and using a
smartphone has made it much easier to check out deals online while I'm shopping in store. It doesn't really matter what type of product it is
- I do this for everything from toilet paper to electronics, although I'm much more likely to spend more time researching bigger ticket items. I
mainly look up prices, but I also look at reviews while I'm shopping too. I've found the Amazon PriceCheck app to be particularly helpful,
because you can just scan the barcode and it finds the product (and other comparable products) for you. I think I'm about 50-50 on whether
it makes me more likely to buy items in store or not - there have been times in the past before my smartphone days that I've walked away
from deals to research them later and regretted not getting them when I discovered it really was a good deal. Now, having the technology at
my fingertips, if I find out it's a great deal on the spot, I'm more likely to buy it then. However, there are also many times when I look it up
online while I'm shopping, find out I can get it cheaper elsewhere, and walk away - unless the convenience of having it immediately
outweighs the better deal. All that being said, if I'm pressed for time, I'm much less likely to showroom and more likely just to trust my
instincts on whether it's a good deal or not (and take the chance of having to possibly return it later). One thing about the in-store experience
that would make me wait to buy a product online is the length of the checkout line. If I can get as good a deal or better online (or maybe
even a little more) and don't need the product right away, and it's the only thing I'm buying in the store that day, I might avoid the long line
and opt for the ease of having it delivered in a couple days. Plus, there's always the possibility of finding a coupon code online or getting
points through a rewards site to get an even better deal”
• “I do my research online before making any major purchases. It narrows my list to just a few makes and models. I will then go to see these
at a local store to make my final evaluation. Where I make the purchase depends on where I find the best balance of value and service.
While I carry my smartphone with me, I rarely use it in a store. I did my research already and I know what the going prices are before I leave
home. In a great many instances, these stores wind up being nothing more than an Amazon showroom. The stores are rarely price
competitive and almost none of them service anything they sell on site. In-store service was the last unique feature stores had, but now
even they mostly ship any items needing repair to some distant place. Customer service has gone, too. Often the in-store staff know less
about the products than I do. Cornering an employee is often impossible ( there are too few of them) and the result unsatisfying anyway.”
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27. Smartphones, flat screen TVs, tablets and laptops are the
most popular consumer electronics shopped for in the last
6 months
Q1. Have you shopped for any of the following products in the last 6 months? You do not need to have
purchased these products but simply have shopped for them. Please select up to 3 products that you most
recently shopped for.

28. Q0. Which of the following do you own? .

29. Showrooming: Empowering
Consumer Electronics
Shoppers
Questions?
Kristina Sruoginis
Research Director, IAB
kristina@iab.net
Sherrill Mane
SVP Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB
sherrill@iab.net
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