73 per cent plan to do their Christmas shopping both online and in-store this year, according to a survey conducted by Vista Retail Support, a retail technology support and IT services business.
Other findings include:
• 71 per cent of consumers say they prefer in-store over online shopping because it allows them to inspect the products before buying.
• 46 per cent of consumers say it’s the holiday atmosphere that draws them to the high street during the Christmas shopping season.
• 44 per cent say they shop in-store to avoid delivery times involved with online shopping.
• 22 per cent will be avoiding the high street altogether in favour of online retailers this year.
• 65 per cent plan on using a contactless payment method while Christmas shopping this year, a rise from last year’s 35 per cent.
• 35 per cent say they never use contactless payment while shopping.
• 49 per cent say they will be taking advantage of click and collect during the festive season.
• 59 per cent say they would be persuaded to enter a store if they had recently received an offer or promotion from the retailer on their smartphone, although 42 per cent of respondents say they have never received such an offer before.
James Pepper, technical services director at Vista Retail Support, says: “While the growth of ecommerce has given some people the impression consumers are abandoning the high street, most shoppers still want stores to be a part of their holiday shopping.
“Christmas really does draw consumers to the high street, but in order to take advantage of the exposure, retailers need to be making use of technologies like contactless payment and click-and-collect to build a great customer experience that will keep shoppers coming back once the holidays are over.”
