Amazon is the biggest promoter and beneficiary of the so-called mobile “showrooming” phenomenon. To date, however, much of the evidence of showrooming has come from consumer surveys rather than actual behavioral data.
Now location-analytics provider Placed has put out a report that combines self-reported survey data and actual consumer behavior. Placed’s report, “Aisle to Amazon,” is based on nearly 15,000 survey responses and “direct measurement of nearly 1 billion US location data points during January 2013.”
The report’s objective was to measure where Amazon buyers also shop in the real world. Here are some of the highlights:
- 25% of Amazon Customers shop at Walmart, 2x higher than Target (10.7%)
- Showroomers who spend more than $100 a quarter at Amazon are 63% more likely to visit Victoria’s Secret, and BJ’s Wholesale Club than the average US consumer
- TJ Maxx, Costco, and Office Depot top the list in terms of index for Amazon customers with the Price Check app
- Men identified as showroomers 39% more likely to go to Best Buy and 24% more likely to go to Home Depot
- Females identified as showroomers 49% more likely to go to Kohl’s and 47% more likely to go to PetSmart
Based on the data, Placed created a “retailer risk index” (see above) that highlights traditional retailers where Amazon shoppers overindex (as a prelude to online purchases). Bed, Bath & Beyond was found to be the most vulnerable among a group of leading retail brands.
As indicated, there were also gender differences between the store-visitation patterns of male and female showroomers:
Some of this data is speculative. Placed doesn’t know in every instance where all the final transactions took place — online or offline. But the data are unique in showing the physical stores where Amazon shoppers go in the course of their research and purchase process.
There are additional findings in the full report.
February 27th, 2013 at 5:35 pm
[...] have been a number of reports published recently about showrooming. I wrote about one out today from Placed. There’s another one coming out [...]
February 27th, 2013 at 9:00 pm
http://pr.bby.com/best-buy-ends-showrooming-with-low-price-guarantee/
February 28th, 2013 at 7:20 am
Well Best Buy has to do something radical.
February 28th, 2013 at 7:24 am
Right. But if you match online prices, your margins will be lower than the online guys because you have the distribution and showrooming costs they do not. Tough problem.
February 28th, 2013 at 7:35 am
Anti-showrooming has to be a mix of things:
Better in-store service, in-store deals that are not available online, loyalty program. Price alone won’t work as you point out.
February 28th, 2013 at 7:56 am
[...] mobile usage and mobile payments adoption. Consistent with the data I wrote about yesterday from Placed and the IAB, JiWire respondents are using their smartphones in stores in very large [...]
March 19th, 2013 at 7:54 am
[...] Placed: Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy Among Retailers Most Vulnerable to Showrooming [...]