An IBM Institute for Business Value survey of more than 30,000 global consumers puts Canadian consumers near the top of the list in terms of using mobile technologies to shop.
According to IBM’s annual Smarter Consumer Study, the number of Canadians who indicated a willingness to incorporate mobile devices into the shopping experience was 160% higher than the previous year. Only the U.S. registered a larger increase.
The survey also indicated that the number of “instrumented” consumers in Canada–shoppers identified by IBM as using multiple technologies, including mobile devices and in-store kiosks to shop–increased by 65%, compared to a global average of 36%.
John Dawkins, Canadian retail sector lead for IBM, said the survey results suggest Canadian consumers are using technology and social media to take greater control over their shopping experience. For example, consumers reported using mobile devices to compare product prices while in the store environment and using Facebook and Twitter to follow and discuss brands and retailers.
“The customer is changing at an accelerated rate and they’ve gotten ahead of the retailers,” said Dawkins. “Historically, the power was with the manufacturers and CPG companies. Then it was with the retailers. Now, the customer is, in many ways, better equipped and better informed about options and purchasing than the sales associates they engage with at the store level or in the online experience.”
Dawkins said consumers were particularly interested in using new technologies, including self-serve checkouts, to save time and conduct product and price comparisons.
In Dawkins’ view, Canadian retailers need to be more aggressive in adapting to the changing consumer landscape.
“Canadian retailers tend to be a little bit too conservative. They want to be fast followers,” he said. “With the market position of American retailers cross border, plus the market entry of big retailers like Target, it’s time to get ahead versus being a fast follower.
“The good news is that this doesn’t require a lot of money or capital. For instance, to do a mobile app does not take huge dollars, and you can do it very quickly.”
Dawkins listed QR code-based promotions and the transfer of physical loyalty cards to mobile devices as measures retailers have and will continue to take to serve tech-savvy consumers.
The 13-country survey included 2,000 Canadian respondents.
