Long feared by bricks and mortar retailers as yet another weapon used by online, it would seem that showrooming is not as big a threat as first feared. In fact it's a great opportunity.

According to new research in the Foresee Mobile Satisfaction Survey, the vast majority using a mobile phone while in a store are actually accessing that retailer’s site (62%) or the retailer’s app (20%).

Though 37% also checked out a competitor’s site, 86% of those who accessed a mobile site purchased from the company on one or other channel, or intended to do so at some time in the future.

Most users were looking for price comparisons (55%) but at 29% for each, product specifications and product reviews were significant reasons to consult a mobile.

Clearly if you have engaging content this will help you differentiate your offer and fight the price sensitivity.

As far as a “path to purchase” is concerned, though the concept has been derided in recent times, the store’s website via a PC was the most usual starting place for the multichannel customer journey (57%). This was well in front of those who started with a competitor’s website via PC (9%) and 6% who started with a mobile.

This research sits well with recently published data from a PwC study which shows that "23% of its respondents research consumer electronics online and then go to a store to buy the product, only 2% do it the other way around."

For more details, download the survey at http://www.foresee.com/research-white-papers/

Read more about the PwC study: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/193404/online-sales-cannibalizing-retail-nope-says-pwc.html?edition=56650#ixzz2L8BnKs54