What Types Of Goods Are More Fitting For Research Online But Instore Purchase?

According to a March 2007 trend report by Forrester, there are two main types of goods that consumers are most likely to research online and buy in store (see below). This makes a lot of sense and based upon the internal ShopLocal research, this tracks really well with what categories are often the highest interest to our local shopping guests.

1. Carefully Considered Major Purchases (like cars, jewelry & appliances)



2. Urgent, Disposable Goods (like food, office supplies and over the counter drugs)



Note: Both of the above graphs are from Forrester’s NACTAS 2006 Benchmark Survey

Interesting Multi-Channel Retailing Trends

Just was reading my email, and ran across a report from Forrester called Best Practices in Multichannel Retailing 2006. Some of the top line conclusions of this found that:

• 88% of all online consumers will use the internet to research products.
• Cross-channel shopping is quickly becoming a mainstream activity; more than half of online Gen Yers, Gen Xers and Younger Boomers engaging in online research behavior.
• Multi-channel retailing has been a “nice-to-have” capability. With consumer adoption of technology, specifically the internet, multi-channel will be a “must-have” capability over the next 2 years.

Frequent Online Circular Users Are Also Frequent In Store Shoppers

Based upon a ShopLocal customer research study that was conducted in Q4 of 2006 (n=37,500) across 32 retailer web sites spanning multiple categories, it found that those users that consumed localized in-store sale information online were more likely to visit a retail store location and do so at a higher frequency than those users that did not see this in-store sale information. This to me is just another validating data point that proves the web to store behavior happens at a measurable and impactful rate.

Alexa.com Shows ShopLocal Being THE Black Friday Shopping Resource

I am sick off all of this talk about cyber-monday being the most heavily trafficked day during the holiday season. It is just not true. Not even close, according to JupiterResearch Internet Shopping Model (11/06 - U.S. Only) which sites Black Friday and Thanksgiving as the heaviest online traffic days. This makes a lot of sense here at ShopLocal, as both our internal web logs and Alexa reporting show this exact same trend where the peak traffic days are these two and NOT cyber-monday.

How Local Search Engines Drive More Business To Local Retailers

Here are four interesting reports that all essentially tell the same story of how online search is driving retail in store sales.

The first comes from Jupiter Research, were it points out the large disparity between online influence and online ad spending. If you are in the online advertising industry, this clearly demonstrates the market potential that this market sector has.



The next two reports come from the Kelsey Group, where they are attempting to show the diminishing influence that traditional local information source are having (like newspapers and paper based yellow pages). This means that yellow page searches fell 13% over the course of these two years (2003 - 2005) and online local search grew by 10% over the same period.



Here is another chart from the Kelsey Group that essentially tells the same story of how the yellow pages are losing their influence and being replaced by local web searches



Finally in a TKG / BizRate survey from 9/04, it shows that of the total number of online searches that are performed across all search engines, nearly 10% of all of these queries have been localized AND are intended for local retail businesses. That really is a strong statistic if you think of it in context of ALL the billions of searches that are performed by users online.

Online Shoppers Purchase More In Store

According to a study from ShopLocal, the leader in multi-channel shopping services, 85 percent of adult Internet shoppers used the Web to make more informed shopping trips to their local stores. Results of the annual American Interactive Consumer Survey, conducted by The Dieringer Research Group on behalf of ShopLocal, indicate that consumers are using online circulars and other tools to compare prices for big- and small-ticket items alike.

“Nearly nine out of 10 adults – from the 110 million Internet shoppers 18 years and older who go online at least once a month – were found to have used the Internet for local shopping, not an online purchase,” said Bob Armour, chief marketing officer for ShopLocal. “This confirms that the Internet is now widely used for local shopping information as well as making online purchases.”

The annual survey from ShopLocal found that nearly two-thirds of multi-channel shoppers now say the Internet is the most important shopping information resource, confirming the high value of online information about products and stores to local shoppers. In fact, online consumers overall responded that they spend more time researching products online than they spend shopping in person.

Multi-channel shoppers also tend to purchase more at local stores than they originally planned to after doing online research, according to the new study. During the three months prior to the survey, nine out of 10 local shopping trips made by multi-channel consumers for products researched online resulted in purchases worth $125 more than the products researched online – a figure that rose 25 percent from the prior year. This means that retailers get added leverage from advertising their goods and services online due to this spending “halo effect.”

The most frequent use of multi-channel shopping is associated with purchasing of home furnishings, tools, men's apparel, sports and fitness products and major appliances. Other leading products more likely to be purchased locally after online research included household products, tools, small appliances, cameras and telephone products.

The annual American Interactive Consumer Survey, conducted by The Dieringer Research Group (Milwaukee, WI.) was fielded in the fourth quarter of 2006, and interviewed 2,2001 U.S. consumers by phone and online.

Chance Of Pace - How Offiline Research Can Drive Online Search Traffic

This is a short excerpt of an article by Sarah Mahoney at MediaPost where she writes about...

"A new survey from the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) finds that traditional offline advertising--especially in magazines--plays a major role in generating online searches.

The poll found that 47.2% of shoppers are most likely to start an online search after viewing a magazine ad, while 43.7% said reading an article was most likely to send them surfing. TV ads (42.8%) came next, followed by newspaper ads (42.3%).

There were also gender differences. Women were more likely than men to be motivated by both coupons (41.8% versus 29.0%) and in-store promotions (29.0% versus 24.5%). And word of mouth inspired more of men's searches: 36.1% of men's searches were inspired by a face-to-face conversation, compared to 29.5% of women.

The poll, which included more than 15,200 shoppers, also turned up some insights about the way consumers share what they have learned online with others. "After searching, online consumers said they are most likely to communicate with others about their search through face-to-face discussion (68.9%)--although e-mail (53.1%), telephone (50.9%), and cell phone (30%) communication were also popular choices," RAMA says. Young adults (18-24) also say they send IMs about what they've learned (37.5%), text message (23.7%), and use outlets like online communities like MySpace and Facebook (20.6%).

While traditional media may spark searches, the poll also affirms that online communication is huge for retailers. According to the survey, 92.5 percent of adults "regularly or occasionally" go online before making a purchase. Electronics continue to be the most researched category (50.8%) followed by apparel (31.9%), and appliances (27.0%).

"When it comes to advertising, retailers always need to be careful not to put all of their eggs in one basket," RAMA says in a release. "While search engine marketing continues to be a popular strategy, retailers should not lose sight of traditional advertising channels to promote products and services.""

Newspapers Are Still The Primary Source Of Pre-Purchase Information For Local Purchases

In the Dieringer Research Group’s American Interactive Consumer Survey 2005 survey (that the NAA was a sponsor of) that attempted to quantify the impact of the internet on shopping related behavior in the U.S, we now know that even as the Internet grows in importance for discerning shoppers, local print newspapers remain top of mind for local purchases by a wide margin.

Among the some highlights taken directly from the study:

• Local TV, the next most commonly cited “primary source” for local advertising, falls 13 percentage points behind print newspapers.
• Broadband, tenured and early adopters lead in citing newspapers above all other media for local shopping, and online users are ever more likely to site newspapers as their primary source for local advertising than offline adult users.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 adult Americans view or read newspaper content in print or online.
• Overall Internet use still ranks somewhat behind reading of daily print newspapers in terms of the overall size of universe, trailed only slightly by Sunday newspaper readership.
• Local online newspapers lead national online sources in their branding impact for online consumers.
• Younger shoppers actually seek out online shopping information in local online newspapers, citing this content as third behind only weather and local entertainment as what they prefer.
  

Even Wal-Mart Is Hoping Aboard The Web - To - Store Bus

This last Tuesday (3/6/07), Wal-Mart Stores rolled out an initial phase of it's Site - to - Store service to about a dozen states, which allows customers to buy merchandise online at walmart.com and pick it up at any store (that is currently participating) for free. The rest of the US stores plan to have this service in place by late summer '07. This is Walmart's first major entry into offering customers a multi-channel shopping experience. The new service gives the Wal-Mart customer access to thousands of items not sold in stores, especially electronic, home, toy, baby and sports items.

"A key advantage of Wal-Mart's online channel is the ability to offer a much larger assortment of products through our virtual shelf space," said Mike Smith, walmart.com's director of store integration.

Site - to - Store not only offers these customers access to thousands of additional online products, but also gives them the added convenience of picking up those items at the store during their weekly shopping trips without paying for shipping.

Buy Online, Pick Up In Store Leads To Higher Average Cart Values

Below is an older article (from the Puget Sound Business Journal) back from 2003 that I just ran across. It's interesting to note the effect of a consumers total purchase that the physical store had. Many people have stated that web - to - store pickup is nothing more than moving the cash register / POS into a person's home. I would argue that it is a lot more, and this simple case study proves it. It not only saves time for both the retailer and customer, but leads to a better experience and to higher average shopping basket values....

"Recreational Equipment Inc., the Kent-based outdoor gear cooperative, introduced an in-store pickup option in July. Within two months, about one-quarter of all online orders at REI.com and REI-outlet.com were being picked up in REI's 67 stores, the company said. For REI-outlet, nearly 40 percent of orders are being picked up in stores.

"We thought it would be successful, but we were surprised at how quickly it was successful and adopted," said Joan Broughton, REI's vice president of multichannel programs. "By the end of the first day, 60 stores had become involved in this."

It seems logical that bargain-hunters shopping REI-outlet.com would want to skip the shipping charges and pick up their goods at a store, Broughton said. Even better for the retailer, since there is no physical REI outlet store, it brings those shoppers to full-line REI stores, where they can peruse the company's full-price goods.

REI's data showed that 36 percent of online customers who chose in-store pickup ended up buying additional items when they came to claim their purchase. Those customers spent an average of about $90 apiece on additional gear."

To read the rest of the article, click here.

How To Assess The Market Opportunity In Online Influence On Offline Spending

OK. I am still pondering that new Jupiter research report that talks about the influnce of online research on in store sales. This report stated that there was $100 billion in eCommerce sales in 2006. If you apply the generic rule that the typical comparison shopping engine (CSE) gets a lead/commission fee of about 2% (of each dollar spend in revenue) for all the high-value traffic that they send to online retailers, this equates out to about $2 billion in revenue. So all the CSEs and affiliates out there collectively share in this $2 billion pie. This is a crowded and highly competitive market. A market that is predicted by the same report to become stagnant and flat in the not so distant future.

So rather than chasing the eCommerce marketplace, why not target the off-line sales that are directly influenced by online research? Seems pretty obvious to me. Less players. Bigger market. A market that is growing (vs becoming flat like eComm). If you applied the same math as above to the in-store spending that is influenced by online research, this market is about $200 billion by year 2011 (the overall pie is about $1 trillion in 2011).

So why doesn't the same model of lead generation and traffic hold true for web - to - store purchases? Tracking, tracking and tracking. There is just not the level of reporting and tracking of these leads.

My mission is to prove that the same referral model that happens online should and does absolulty hold true for web to store sales.

Measuring The Degree Of Influence Newspaper Ad Inserts Have

In a research study that was release in late 2006 by Vertis Communications (Customer Focus®/RISC) it revealed that 51 percent of adults use advertising inserts or circulars to decide where to shop for clothing items. The study analyzed the shopping habits of four core segments (below) identified through RISCAmeriscan and the motivating factors influencing how and where these groups shop for their fashion items.

1. “Movers and Shapers”
2. “Daredevils”
3. “Guardians”
4. “Wannabes”

“The four groups analyzed through the study show that, despite demographic similarities, consumers are unique individuals with different values and personalities influencing their habits,” said Jim Litwin, vice president of market insights at Vertis Communications. “In order to connect with consumers on a personal level, it is important for marketers to understand these groups and their motivations; this will help them develop relevant and effective advertising and marketing collateral.”

Consumers who are part of the “Movers and Shapers” category are often described as open-minded individuals in constant pursuit of new things from clothing to careers. They are a high-energy group that does not like to be controlled or limited, but seeks the acceptance and companionship of others.

“Daredevils” are known for their competitive nature and constant need for recognition from others. Often times they accomplish this by being risk-takers or though unorthodox behavior. These individuals value status, which is often reflected by their physical appearance and purchase selections. Adults in the

“Wannabes” often aspire to be like other groups who have what they want and know how to enjoy life. These adults use their energy and activity to achieve the entertainment they seek and are often attracted to unique and different experiences. This group has a difficult time connecting with others.

Of all the groups, “Guardians” are least likely to accept change and often plan ahead to avoid unexpected situations. Close, personal relationships are important to this group, which values tradition and routine. They are least likely to become leaders, but will always follow others.

This same study, which surveyed respondents for the first time via the telephone and Web, also revealed the following:

Shopping Behaviors of Adults

• 58 percent of Daredevils and 50 percent of Guardians research by circular and then purchase at store
• In comparison, 21 percent of Movers and Shapers research by circular online and then purchase at store
• According to the study, 13 percent of Daredevils research by circular online and then purchase online, compared to 10 percent of Wannabes and movers and shapers
• 8 percent of Guardians and 8 percent of Wannabes research by circular and then purchase online

Discount Stores Are Shopping Preference for Movers and Shapers

• 40 percent of Movers and Shapers surveyed shop at discount stores most often for their fashion items, compared to 18 percent of Wannabes
• Although 16 percent of Movers and Shapers shop at department stores, this group is most likely to shop at stores where they can get the best value for their money
• Movers and Shapers are busy individuals and 18 percent are attracted to stores where they can get items for the entire family
• 37 percent of consumers in this group have a combined household income of less than $30,000

Wannabes Seek Specialty Stores for their Unique Shopping Needs

• 21 percent of Wannabes shop at specialty stores for their fashion items, compared to 1 percent who shop using catalogs
• When selecting where to shop, 38 percent of Wannabes look for stores with clothes that fit them, compared to 11 percent who shop at locations carrying the latest fashion
• 50 percent of Wannabes have a combined household income of $50,000
• Of the women 23-54 surveyed, 44 percent are classified as Wannabes

Daredevils Frequently Visit Value Retailers For Fashion Needs

• According to the study, 33 percent of Daredevils shop at value retailers for fashion items
  
• For 32 percent of adults classified as Daredevils, “best value” is the most important factor in selecting where to shop, while 29 percent shop at stores with clothes that fit them
• Daredevils are least interested in stores carrying the latest trends, with only 6 percent of respondents stating this is important when selecting where to shop
• 38 percent of Daredevils have a combined household income of $50,000, while 34 percent have an income of less than $30,000
• 30 percent of women 50 and older are categorized as Daredevils, compared to 8 percent of women 18-34

Guardians Find Fashion Needs at Department Stores

• 27 percent of Guardians shop at department stores for their fashion needs
• Out of the four groups studied, Guardians are most likely to shop using catalogs, with 9 percent of respondents using this shopping tool
• For 33 percent of Guardians, best value is a motivating factor when selecting where to shop for fashion
• 37 percent of women 50 and older and 20 percent of women 65 and older are classified as Guardians

New Technologies That Are Helping Take Printed Ads Online To Drive W2S Shopping

The NAA's publication called PressTime has written a rather interesting article about digital newsprint technologies that are allowing user to receive a digital version of the newspaper and then take this eCopy with them wherever they are and consume this content across a whole host of digital devices. My take on all of these new advancements is that these emergent technologies will all come to play some role in a consumers buying process of first going online research a product before heading into a physical store to make a purchase.

Advertisers need to take note and embrace these technologies as soon as possible, even if they just "test" them out. It is important to get a understand of each and determine how to best leverage them to meet their business goals. The only way to do so is to get your hands dirty and just try things out. I am not talking major ad spends, but small defined tests to learn about the technologies and to gain expertise and position yourself as a thought leader, so that when these technologies do reach the mainstream, your firm has a head start on the rest of the competition. To read the entire article, click here.

For this blog post, I would like to focus in on one of of these technologies that I find especially interesting. Introducing the Times Reader, available in a free beta on NYTimes.com. The Times Reader is a downloadable application that enhances the onscreen reading experience of The New York Times for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista users. It offers consumers access to The Times electronically, online or offline from a desktop, laptop, tablet PC or ultra-mobile computing device. Times Reader lets users retrieve the latest news and photos, through a synching process that lasts approximately one minute.

This new reader technology combines the interactivity and immediacy of the Web with the portability of a newspaper through Windows Presentation Foundation (which is Microsoft's advanced display technology that is avaialble only in Windows Vista). The text in Times Reader is displayed in a format to fit the size and layout of any computer screen and enables readers to customize the display according to personal preferences.

The NYTimes.com is the first to offer advertisers and readers this unique and advanced capability to date. It really gives the users of this technology and content the ability to experience the phyically printed paper in a new electronic way and provides advertisers greater visibility for their ads through this unique platform.

For advertisers, the application provides another creative platform to reach readers. Advertisements can be as small as a button or expand into multi-columns. In the beta version of Times Reader, only one advertisement appears on each page, giving significant visibility to that ad space. Future iterations of Times Reader may accommodate more advertisements on a single page. Furthermore, once downloaded, the content on the userseIU PC allows readers to click through advertisements to a designated landing page from that advertiser, even when not connected to the Web.

Anyone who is currently running Windows XP and is a registered user of NYTimes.com can participate in the Times Reader beta by signing up on http://www.nytimes.com/timesreader. Times Reader is free during the beta period. It will officially launch in 2007.

To learn more about this cool new online service/product, click here.

Influnce Of Online Research On In Store Sales Will Approach 1 Trillion USD By 2011

In some rather shocking research that was recently released by JupiterResearch last month (Jan, 07), showed what a large role the retail web will play in influencing offline sales. This ever emerging sales channel is and will continue to be the major force to be reckoned with.

This report stated that the Internet will influence 47% total retail sales in 2011, compared to just 28% in 2005. This projection combines total sales transacted online with those carried out off line but directly influenced by online research. These offline sales will grow at a faster rate than online sales over the next five years.

The real conclusion that needs to be drawn from this is that retailers must embrace and become multichannel and to do so they must integrate their offerings so as to have clear, simple and convenient links to offline channels. Driving this growth are the 85% of online shoppers who said they used the Internet to research their offline purchases in 2005.

Also rather counter to the the market "noise" that continues to hype the continued growth rate of online sales, this report concluded that U.S. online sales are expected to plateau at 10 percent to 15 percent of the total amount of dollars consumers spend with retailers.

The impact of online behavior on offline sales will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% over the next five or so years. This should lead retailers to realize that the retailer centric web holds a tremendous advertising and marketing value in helping to persuade shoppers to head to brick-and-mortar location.

Largest W2S Survey Ever Conducted - Breaking Results

Back in late September 2006, I launched an effort here at ShopLocal to conduct the largest and most comprehensive W2S survey that has every been conducted. After working with our great clients, we got 30+ retailers on board from a wide range of retail categories. I honestly never expected the massive number of responses that we ended up getting from a small, non-obtrusive free (eg no compensation for the respondents) survey. I was and still am really blown away. If this has taught me anything it is that people online like to fill out surveys and tell you what they think.

Below are some of the highlights of this landmark survey taken from the official company press release that launched today...

"The Online Circular and Shopping Benchmark Survey Finds 95% of Shoppers Who Check Online Deals Weekly Visit a Retailer at Least Once a Month with 53% Shopping Every Week

Consumers who first research products online are more likely to spend more and purchase more in-store rather than over the Internet, according to a new survey from ShopLocal, the leading multi-channel shopping resource. Of the more than 37,500 people who responded to the quarterly survey, 69 percent said they gathered information on products online and then made at least one purchase at a local store compared with 27 percent who bought over the Internet.

The majority of respondents (56 percent) went to the online circulars specifically to browse sales and discounts before purchasing and another 35 percent cited new specials piqued their interest. There was some variance from category to category with respondents indicating they browsed through the online circulars for less costly items, such as comparing groceries and beauty specials, but with a specific consumer electronic in mind, people often used the online circulars to research and compare specific items before visiting their local stores.

The Online Circular and Shopping Benchmark Survey was conducted by ShopLocal from October 26 through December 5, 2006 from 32 retailers and across five major categories: consumer electronics, food/beverage and health/beauty, home and garden, mass merchant and office supplies. Over 37,500 shoppers who went to the retailers Web sites responded to the survey."

Why Do People Go To A Newspaper Website?

According to the a new study just released by the NAA (Newspaper Association of America - Internet Shopping & Advertising Study -- Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006 - Prepared by MORI Research), about one out of three visitors to a newspaper web site went there to get information on retail stores...

"Newspaper Web Sites and Shopping Information
One-third of Internet users (32 percent) and 24 percent of all adults visited a newspaper Web site in the previous 30 days

Newspaper Web site visitors on average do more things online, including shopping, than is the case with other Internet users. This is amply documented in the recent “Power Users 2006” report from NAA. For example, among past-30-day, newspaper-site visitors, 55 percent have seen or used online preprint advertising, compared with only 42 percent of other Internet shoppers.

Why do users visit newspaper Web sites? Almost two-thirds of past 30-day visitors mentioned various types of advertising information, including 30 percent citing retail shopping information in particular. This proportion spikes up to 39 percent among the 25-to-34 age group.
Internet Shopping & Advertising

Question: Thinking of all the reasons you have visited the newspaper’s web site, for what types of information or services have you looked at or used the site? (aided)

Reasons Visited Newspaper Web site

• News (net) 88%
• Local or regional news = 80%
• National news = 66%
• Advertising (net) = 62%
• Shopping information for retail stores = 30%
• Homes or real estate search = 29%
• Job hunting information = 28%
• Shopping for cars or trucks = 19%
• Weather = 57%
• Movie listings or other entertainment information = 46%
• Sports scores & information = 42%
• Stocks or stock market = 21%
• None of these = 2%
  

Base = Adults who visited newspaper Web site in past 30 days"

Online FSI / Circulur Ads Give A Better Sense Of A Product Than A Printed Insert

In a new study that was just released by the Newspaper Association of America (Internet Shopping & Advertising Study -- Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006 - Prepared by MORI Research) some more interesting insights were found about the whether an online FSI / circular ad gave a consumer a better idea about a product...

"Product Appearance: Earlier, it was noted that 53 percent of newspaper preprint users agreed that they give a good idea of what products look like. The Internet, however, seems to have an advantage over preprints on this characteristic, although there obviously is much room for variation. By a 62 percent to 25 percent margin, online shoppers said that they get a better sense of product appearance on the screen than with a printed insert. Women (55 percent) are somewhat less inclined than men (62 percent) to favor the Internet on this question. (Newspaper preprint users who shop online are about average on this question.)

Question: In general, would you say that you get a better idea of a product’s appearance by seeing it in a printed advertisement in a newspaper insert, or by seeing it online, on a web site?

Product Appearance in Printed Insert vs. Online

• Better seeing product online = 62%
• Better seeing product in print advertisement = 25%
• About the same = 11%
• Neither = 2%
• Don’t know = 1%
  

Base = Adults who shopped online in past 30 days"

New Research About People's Awareness That FSIs / Inserts Are Available Online

In a new study that was just released by the Newspaper Association of America (Internet Shopping & Advertising Study -- Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006 - Prepared by MORI Research) some very interesting conclusion were found about the general public's awareness that FSIs / Inserts / Circulars are available online...

"Awareness of Online Inserts: Almost half of online shoppers said that they have seen or checked online versions of newspaper advertising inserts that are available at some store Web sites. Young adults, especially women age18-34 (57 percent), are more likely to have seen online preprints. Awareness also is higher in the Northeast (52 percent) than the Western (42 percent) census regions.

Question: Some companies who advertise in newspaper inserts make the same information available online. That is, you might go to a store’s web site, enter your zip code, and see pictures of the same insert that appeared in your local newspaper. Have you ever seen or used a feature like this on any store’s web site?

Aware that Inserts Are Available Online

• Yes, have seen or used this type of feature online = 47%
• No, have not seen or used this type of feature online = 52%
• Don’t know = 1%
  

Base = Adults who shopped online in past 30 days"

Online Price Comparisons Fuel Local Offline Shopping

Here is some interesting W2S data that just came in off the wire. comScore is starting to recognize that people use online resources that end up driving people in-store. Below is the press release excerpt.

From comScore Networks - RESTON, Va., November 26, 2006:

E-COMMERCE SPENDING ON BLACK FRIDAY JUMPS 42 PERCENT
VERSUS LAST YEAR

Higher Than Expected E-Commerce Spending During Thanksgiving Weekend Has Online Retailers Eagerly Anticipating Cyber Monday

Online Price Comparisons Fuel Local Offline Shopping

"...An analysis of traffic to online comparison shopping sites revealed a distinct surge in visits on Black Friday, as consumers began their traditional hunt for holiday bargains. Visits to the leading shopping engines collectively rose 21 percent on Black Friday, versus the average number of daily visits during November. ShopLocal.com, however, saw a triple digit increase in visits on Black Friday and during the preceding three days, as consumers took advantage of the site’s ability to help them pinpoint bargains available at local offline retailers.

“Clearly consumers are increasing their use of online resources to drive their offline shopping,” commented Mr. Fulgoni. “On Black Friday, when many consumers were drawing up their ‘battle plans’ for finding in-store bargains, it appears that the savviest among them had already used the Internet to price items for purchase at local stores offline. We expect this trend to continue during the holiday season.”

Actual Web-to-Store Data From A Leading Retailer - Amazing Results

Here is some new and very interesting W2S research that one of the largest retailers in the world recently conducted. This retailer found that those customers that visited their online circular site were on average:

• Conducted 47% more store transactions than the regular customers that did not view the online circular.
• Visited a store 32% more than the regular customers that did not view the online circular.
• Spent 26% more overall (total spend over a 12 month period) than the regular customers that did not view the online circular.

This research was based upon a 12 month slice of data that included all household purchases.