85% of Shoppers Prefer Personalized Offers

Eighty-five percent of U.S. consumers prefer personalized offers that reflect previously purchased items, indicating a continued promotional shift at retail, according to a new survey conducted by Synqera.

According to the survey, U.S. consumers still prefer promotional content and coupons from traditional print media like magazines and newspapers (75 percent), online (72 percent), or received after a purchase (62 percent) for future shopping.

Yet, 45 percent want to receive this content at various locations throughout the store. The challenge for brick and mortar retailers and grocers, according to Synqera, is capturing the customer’s interest, especially given their continued preference for personalization.

"There’s a clear indication within today’s consumer behavior that the current in-store promotional experience isn’t capturing the attention of the omnichannel shopper,” said Filipp Shubin, COO of Synqera. "Consumers are asking for more personalized retail experiences that are relevant to their shopping needs, especially across holidays, and they’ll shop at the stores that promote their products accordingly.”

Additionally, the survey reveals that 81 percent of consumers would not search for promotions and coupons on a retailer or grocer’s mobile app, and 73 percent would not want them sent directly to their mobile device. Two-thirds (67 percent) of shoppers prefer receiving a coupon for groceries, while only 14 percent would be interested in cosmetics, toiletries and beauty product coupons. And 57 percent of respondents said they signed up for a retailer or grocer’s rewards or loyalty program this past year for a discount.

In addition to the promotional disconnect, 63 percent said their in-store holiday shopping experience could have been improved, especially for those shoppers under the age of 45. More than half of those that want improvement said that they’d consider using personalized coupons and more information about products. And 86 percent said they would have purchased an item that was similar in look and quality -- but less expensive -- to one that they were originally looking for, if only they had been made aware of it.

Data from the survey was collected between Jan. 27-30, 2014, from 1,024 online respondents.