Last updated on August 15th, 2018
Technology company Digimarc Corp. has released findings from a commissioned survey revealing that long lines and poor checkout experiences reduce shopper morale, and are significant reasons for why consumers would shop elsewhere or shift to buying groceries online.
Key findings from study include:
- Line length and the checkout experience has become as important as price in determining customer satisfaction and where they choose to shop.
- Despite the importance that shoppers place on line length and the checkout experience, retailers may not be delivering a satisfactory experience.
- Slow checkout experiences clearly hurt not only customer satisfaction, but also retailers’ revenue as shoppers buy less or abandon trips.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Digimarc, found that both the length of checkout lines and overall checkout experience are among the areas with the lowest customer satisfaction. According to the survey, 84 percent of shoppers said the checkout experience was important or very important, falling closely behind only location and price as criteria for deciding where to shop. In addition, 39 percent of shoppers have left a store without making a purchase because of long lines, and 56 percent are likely to change stores if the primary difference was better checkout.
“The research shows that slow checkout frustrates today’s shoppers who value their time as much as they do their wallet,” said Heidi Dethloff, VP of marketing, Digimarc. “Retailers put effort and expense into pricing promotions for consumers focused on value, but they may be underestimating the true cost of slow checkout in terms of lost business revenue and diminished loyalty.”
Forrester forecasts that over the next five years, online grocery shopping will nearly double from $185 million in 2018 to $334 million in 2022. To compete with the speed and convenience of online shopping, retailers must make the in-store experience better, and consumers surveyed say that means faster checkout among other amenities.
The full study is available to download for free here. Additionally, Digimarc will host a live webinar on Sept. 13, detailing the study results and demonstrating how retailers can implement technology solutions to improve the customer experience. Registration is available here.
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