Company News • 01.10.2015

German consumers require convenience and value driven by technology

Oracle research: 76 percent of shoppers want retailers to adopt new technology to provide a true converged commerce experience

Source: Oracle

German shoppers see convenience as a fundamental part of shopping, reveals recent research from Oracle. Results from Oracle’s 2015 consumer research report Retail Without Limits – A Modern Commercial Society reveal that German consumers are self-sufficient shoppers, who are open to adopting technology to make their shopping experiences more convenient, but value the ability to control their interactions with retailers.

The findings, based on responses from 500 German participants, demonstrate that shoppers want retailers to provide a seamless shopping journey that offers a choice of quality goods, as well as value for money. They are open to embracing new solutions that will deliver them the choice, ease and convenience that they want from retailers and appreciate personal engagement in the store. Shoppers are private and value-conscious, key indicators in determining which retailers they choose to shop with. They are willing to try new brands and will easily seek out alternative choices if they have a disappointing experience with a retailer.

The German research results reveal that convenience, driven by technology has become today’s ‘invisible hand’, driving a borderless and limitless retail market. The results of the German research challenge retailers to capitalise on these findings by adopting three simple principles into their retail strategies: learn, adapt and execute.

“Consumers in Germany and around the world want retailers to deliver converged shopping experiences. They want seamless journeys across store, online and mobile, and the store is a critical differentiator in terms of service and convenience,” said Jill Puleri, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Retail.

The German research reveals the following:

German consumers believe that retailers must adopt new technology:
6 percent of respondents see the use of technology as an important part of their shopping experience and want retailers to continue to invest in new technologies. 70 percent of German shoppers believe that solutions that enable a seamless shopping journey – whether in-store, online or mobile –significantly enhance their experience.

German consumers will shop internationally to get the best price:
69 percent of consumers surveyed indicated that they have purchased goods from international offshore retailers online due to better pricing. German shoppers are not afraid to look elsewhere for what they want, with 70 percent saying that they are willing to try new retailers and even own label brands to get the products they desire.

German consumers want to be able to engage with associates in-store:
66 percent prefer in-person engagement with store assistants to aid their shopping experiences. However, German consumers are more reticent when it comes to retailers collecting personal information that drives more targeted promotions and rewards.

German consumers say value is important:
72 percent say that their primary reason for shopping with a new retailer is value. This is also the most common reason that 69 percent of German shoppers are willing to try new retailers.

German consumers use mobile:
60 percent have increased their use of mobile to shop over last year and 45 percent believe that provision of free Wi-Fi in store would enhance their shopping experience.

German consumers want visibility to stock information:
65 percent want retailers to provide them with better visibility to stock and a further 55 percent want the capabilities to track current and historical orders.

Oracle commissioned the consumer research conducted by Redshift Research in January 2015. Results of the Retail Without Limits - A Modern Commercial Society involving 5,000 respondents from ten countries using an online consumer panel, were announced in March 2015.