Euclid Analytics, in its “Evolution of Retail, 2017 Men vs. Women Shopper Report,” asserted that, although gender-based differences in mobile engagement exist, both men and women demonstrate a lack of enthusiasm for a store run solely by technology.
The research firm acknowledged that mobile plays a central role in brick-and-mortar visits. Still, the firm noted, once shoppers enter the physical store, they are not looking for a tech-first experience. Rather, consumers want an immersive, sensory experience that still incorporates human interaction at its core. Technology must enhance and not distract from the immersive experience of the physical location.
The study did suggest that men gravitate to some retail experiences more than women and vice versa, and it identified aspects of the retail experience that tend to impress each demographic. Euclid identified key study findings as:
- Women are more engaged on mobile while shopping. In store, 37% of women text or chat with friends and family about buying options versus 24% of men, 41% of women look up email promotions versus 27% of men, and 42% of women take pictures of products to remember for later versus 30% of men.
- Women value in-store shopping to confirm fit and style. The ability to easily try on clothes and get recommendations is a critical factor in 65% of women’s desire to shop in-store versus 55% in the case of men.
- Men seek human interaction in-store. As part of their shopping pattern, 73% of men always or frequently interact with sales people as opposed to 65% of women while 28% of men consider lack of responsiveness from employees their biggest pet peeve when visiting stores compared to 23% of women.
As for tech-centric stores, Euclid maintained, only 41% of men and 46% of women would be interested in visiting a brick-and-mortar retailer operated purely by technology, such as AmazonGo.
“Our study underscores that, despite technology’s increasing role in physical stores, customers still enjoy personalized human interactions while shopping,” said Brent Franson, Euclid Analytics CEO. “Ultimately, retailers that thrive will use data to inform immersive, tailored experiences for their physical locations, harvesting a deeper understanding of all their customers, delivering tailored, cohesive experiences across both digital and physical platforms with human interactions at the core.”
