RSR’s 2010 store report was the first time we asked retailers about consumer smart technologies’ value in driving customers into stores (and their value once within those stores).

However, it wasn’t until 2011’s store study that retailers saw much value in either. What happened in those 12 months, of course, was significant; smart mobile phones exploded onto the consumer market, and retailers instantly started seeing them in the hands of every consumer in their stores. Since then, the value only intensifies each year.

For example, in this year’s just-published store report, The Relevant Store in the Digital Age, 87% of retailers see value in smartphones’ ability to drive consumers into their stores (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Value TO the Door

Source: RSR Research, May 2013

And it doesn’t stop there – emails, mobile apps, branded eCommerce sites and presence on social networks – retailers are banking heavily on the ability of each to drive customers through their stores’ front doors. And much of this will happen via mobile device. But what then?

Intensifying with Time

Based on your experience, it may or may not be surprising that retailers perceive increasingly large-scale value in each of these touchpoints’ ability to drive sales – even within the store walls.

Figure 2: Value THROUGH the Door

Source: RSR Research, May 2013

All of these numbers are up significantly from last year, and those were all up significantly from the year before. Some additional data points:

• Winners have the largest appetite to make use of retailer-branded aps and mobile sites to communicate with consumers in stores (44% vs. laggard’s 29%); we intentionally did not specify a difference between app/mobile site, as that is not the goal of this report. However, it does show that Winners disproportionately recognize the consumer’s constant scanning of digital domains even when physically shopping – and see the advantage in communicating with consumers within their (or a competitor’s) store walls.
• Those selling perishables and basics believe that their eCommerce site is being used in stores more so than any other segment (42% vs. Fashion’s 26%). This makes sense and demonstrates an understanding of their core audience; their products may not garner the type of consumer passion to warrant branded app or Facebook interest, but consumers do still use their phones to price compare against online offers and promotions while in store.

But there’s a problem. Any guesses as to what it might be? Well here comes the teaser: we invite you to read the full report here to find out!