Shoppers rediscover the joy of retail outlets

Shoppers at a retail outlet in Zhaotong, Yunnan province. A survey by Accenture Plc found that about 93 percent of Chinese consumers said it is easier and more convenient to complete a purchase in-store than online (about 75 percent said this method is easiest) or by mobile (about 61 percent). [Zhang Guangyu / China Daily]

Almost one in three Chinese shoppers plan to buy more at brick-and-mortar outlets, consulting firm Accenture Plc said in a report on Friday.

About 26 percent of Chinese consumers said they would be shopping more in-store, versus 18 percent in the previous year. The company surveyed 15,000 consumers in 20 countries including China to rank their shopping experience across channels.

About 93 percent of Chinese consumers said it is easier and more convenient to complete a purchase in-store than online (about 75 percent said this method is easiest) or by mobile (about 61 percent).

The study also found that 43 percent of Chinese consumers are willing to travel to a store if it offers real-time product availability.

The findings suggest that consumers may be having second thoughts about the benefits of online shopping. E-commerce is not as convenient as has been thought, said Dave Richards, the global industry managing director of retail at Accenture.

"Compared with online shopping, consumers enjoy the experience of a store. For example, in Apple Inc stores, consumers can see the iPhone and iPad easily, and they can consult the sales staff for product information," said Richards.

He said stores should not be written off just yet, and they will continue to play a critical role in the marketplace.

"Most successful retailers will have multiple channels at work - online channels, mobile channels and stores. All these channels will be integrated and work together," he said.

The report said that retailers are actively involved in multi-channel retailing. About 63 percent of the traditional retailers are following this strategy, and 78 percent of single-channel retailers are planning for the transition to multi-channel selling.

So far, 61 percent of retailers have set up an independent official e-shop and 52 percent have established online stores on third-party platforms.

Richards said that retailers still need to do more to provide consumers with a seamless, cross-channel shopping experience.

"Technical support, operations and organizational management will be challenges for retailers to carry out multi-channel retailing," said Richards.

The report also noted the potential of personalized offerings in the marketplace. It said nearly 50 percent of global shoppers are happy to provide retailers with personal information if it results in a truly personalized offering.

More than 60 percent would buy more if they were offered a personalized subscription program, for example.

Providing consumers with personalized offerings has "big potential" in China, although many retailers do not have the ability to develop personalized offerings, said Koh Yew Hong, a managing director for retail at Accenture.