By: Angela Soric
A study conducted by International Business Machines Corp (IBM) finds that retailers need to become more creative when it comes to personalized promotions and sales. Finding new ways to reach consumers is especially important as access to technology continues to broaden.
Consumers in India, China and Brazil are almost twice as willing to use multiple technologies for shopping, said IBM, as new technologies often grow faster in emerging countries.
The study, which surveyed about 32,000 individuals globally, found that 79% want to use websites in order to access and print coupons. Nearly just as many want to use their mobile devices to find store locations and 66% would like to know whether a product is in stock before traveling to the store. In fact, 43% said that if an item wasn’t in stock, they would go elsewhere to find it.
Jill Puleri, a retail executive for IBM explains that providing real-time inventory information can be challenging. However, IBM is looking to produce software that instantly shows customers what is available in stores.
“Retailers cannot afford to sit still as this digital revolution happens,” said Puleri. “They must engage plugged-in consumers in new and different ways, on their terms, and with more bi-directional feedback and dialogue.”
