Physical Stores Still Dominate Retail Despite Headlines on Mobile, Online Commerce

In spite of all the hoopla about burgeoning e-commerce and mobile-commerce activity, consumers still prefer to shop inside a store, finds the “Total Retail: Retailers and the Age of Disruption” report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Of the more than 1,000 U.S. consumers surveyed, only 27% said they shop online weekly. But, 68% of them said they intentionally browsed products at a store but decided to buy them online, with 73% saying they browsed online and then bought the products in a store.

“For the past several years, the story around retail stores was 'showrooming,' in which stores were places to display items for online purchase. However, this year's survey results reveal that the online shop has also become a showroom where shoppers research and compare prices for later, in-store purchases,” said Steven Barr, PwC U.S. retail & consumer practice leader in a press release.

The survey also asked about payment preferences, with only 40% choosing a debit card and another 40% a credit card, 15% opting for cash, and only 1% each preferring to use a mobile phone or invoice. Four percent had other preferences.

When asked about digital currency use, only 28% said they might use something like Bitcoin, with 35% not using it and 37% unsure.

The survey also supplied more evidence on consumer leeriness of mobile-phone security. Seventy percent said they were wary of their personal credit information being hacked using their mobile phones. Only 11% disagreed with that statement.