Internet’s Place In Multi-Channel Retail Space.

Though stores are still the most popular shopping outlet in the US, a couple of recent studies about the multi-channel shopper emphasize the Internet’s influence over pre-purchase product research.

ForeSee Results and FGI Research surveyed 4,000 US consumers between December 9 and December 18, 2004 who had purchased from one or more retailers in five categories and found that most of them bought from a store — 86% — making it the preferred channel among multi-channel shoppers.

ForeSee used the SmartPanel from FGI Research to collect responses from US consumers who had purchased products within the past 90 days from one or more companies in the following categories: department stores, gifts, apparel and accessories, toys/books/games and electronics and computers. Companies ranged from Sears and Zale Jewelers to Borders and Circuit City.

Though bricks-and-mortar stores remain the most popular outlets for multi-channel shoppers to actually make purchases, the Internet is still very popular for product research. ForeSee found that while 41% of respondents conducted research before buying from a company in the five categories at an actual store, 38% have conducted such research on the company’s Web site.

Supporting this idea is another recent study, the Evolution of the Multi-Channel Consumer (EMC2), about the multi-channel shopper from Fry, Inc., the e-tailing group and comScore Networks. The survey of US consumers determined that 34% frequently shop online at Web sites before buying online. Specifically, 46% begin their shopping process at search engines while 39% start right at the Web site of the retailer of their choice.

For more information at http://emarketer.com