New research has found that 17% of people under 45 are persuaded to spend more than they originally planned due to digital displays in stores.
The survey, commissioned by Saturn Visual Solutions and conducted by OnePoll, asked 2,000 UK-based, full-time and part-time adult workers how they felt about modern stores featuring interactive displays and screens showing product information and videos.
Nearly a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds (24%) admitted they’d been persuaded to spend more than they planned in stores with digital displays. This figure decreased to 19% among 25 to 34-year-olds and 15% for 35 to 44-year-olds. For respondents over 45, the number dropped sharply to just 7%.
Men were more likely to find digital signage persuasive, with 17% admitting to splurging as a result, compared to just 9% of female respondents.
Saturn CEO Chris Welsh said, “We’re not surprised by the finding that people are more likely to splurge in a store with digital displays. It shows that the environment customers shop in and the information provided can really influence how they feel about a product.”
A quarter of all respondents (25%) felt that displays in modern stores made it easier to learn about new products. Nearly as many (22%) said that shopping in stores with digital displays was more fun and felt more luxurious. Almost a fifth (19%) thought stores with digital displays tended to feel like nicer places to shop, with this figure rising to 26% among male respondents.
“Our research shows that a good portion of the younger generation thinks digital displays enhance their in-store shopping experience. For too long, retailers have treated digital displays like an ‘optional extra.’ Hopefully, this research illustrates the impact displays can have on shoppers’ experiences and their perceptions of brands. It also clearly indicates a positive influence on the bottom line for retailers,” added Welsh.
“It’s unlikely that this preference for a more modern, interactive store will change with the next generation. Retailers need to start upping their game and delivering an in-store experience that focuses more on the present, rather than what used to work in the past.”
Saturn has used the research to produce a white paper called ‘Re-energising retail – How the 2024 in-store experience is changing and what to do about it’ which can be found here.
