Some 73% of Australian consumers feel more knowledgeable than store associates.
That's the finding of a recent survey involving 1000 Australian consumers by Manhattan Associates.
Of the Australian shoppers surveyed, the majority acknowledged the importance of the store associate in achieving a good shopping experience, with only five per cent denying their importance at all.
However, a massive 73% feel they know more about the products and services in store than the store associates themselves.
Additionally, 63% declared they would interact more with a store assistant if their experience was tailored.
Manhattan Associates ANZ MD Raghav Sibal said this is an era of ever heightened customer expectations.
"Consumers have come to rely on their own technology-assisted resourcefulness to make more informed purchase decisions, which makes the store assistant look increasingly redundant when they aren’t equipped with the same. Retailers also need to ensure assistants have the right skills to engage with customers - both soft people skills and specific technology skills to deliver a new level of personal experience."
The research also reveals that fast delivery is high on shoppers’ list of priorities with almost half rating delivery as important.
When it comes to a flexible returns policy however, it seems women are more likely to change their mind over a purchase with 46% considering it an important factor compared to just 41% of men.
Other key findings include:
- 45% of consumers would share personal data in exchange for a discount.
- Three in four consumers shop in-store rather than online because they like to touch/feel the products they are purchasing.
- Checking stock availability (33%) and providing product advice (38%) are considered the most important aspect of the store assistant’s role.
- Millennials are more open to personalisation methods than the older generation, with 74% of 18-24s responding they would interact with the store associate more if the experience was personalised compared to 63% of over 65s.
- The age group that values the store associate most when shopping is the over 65s (72% of this age group).