Personal touch is crucial in making older consumers buy in-store: new study
A new study has found that well-staffed tills and a warm welcome are the key drivers of in-store purchasing among older shoppers who still value the personal touch in an age of retail technology.
In a survey of more than 1,300 consumers aged 50 or over, St Ives Group company Pragma found that six out of 10 people polled cited too few staff manning tills as the main factor which would dissuade them from returning to a shop.
In addition 37% of respondents highlighted lack of a welcoming atmosphere as their reason for blacklisting a retailer, while 29% agreed the total number of staff visible on the shop floor was a crucial factor in their loyalty.
Other off-putting factors cited by respondents included a lack of special offers and promotions, confusing store layouts, poor signage and unsuitable fitting rooms.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Katie Lucas, consultant at Pragma, said: “Having spent years chasing Britain’s youth, retailers are now waking up to the fact that a wealth of untapped opportunity lies in the 50+ market.
“Not only are there 22 million people in this age group in the UK, who accounted for £320 billion of expenditure in 2012, this demographic is growing and is expected to reach 29 million by 2035.”
She added: “We have defined several fundamentals if you want to ride the wave of 50+ retail fever. These include realising the value of making the store experience personal, so in-store service extends to all customer touchpoints. For example, Bonmarché gets it right on the shop floor but also utilises its Facebook page as a responsive and personal customer service tool.”
