When was the last time you walked into your favorite department store?
If it's been a while, you're probably among the millions of shoppers who are increasingly visiting retailers' virtual aisles, according to a new study on online shopping by researchers at comScore. The study of 3,000 shoppers found seven out of 10 prefer to go online to get what they want from their favorite retailers.
The study, commissioned by UPS, said online shoppers also want the same convenience that "bricks and mortar" stores offer and have no qualms when it comes to returning items to stores or abandoning their online shopping cart.
Sixty-two percent want to be able to purchase online and make in-store returns. Eight-eight percent of those surveyed said they have abandoned an online shopping cart, compared with 81 percent in last year's study.
"What will set apart one retailer from another in a competitive marketplace is how well they meet the rapidly evolving needs and expectations of customers," said Susan Engleson, comScore senior director.
Forty-seven percent of shoppers want retailers to send them a promotion or coupon on their smartphone while they are in a store or nearby, according to comScore.
UPS is interested in store returns since it is a major competitor in seeing that products get to consumers and back to retailers. Most consumers, 78 percent, choose the least-expensive option for shipping when checking out online, comScore said.
