Despite an increase in use of digital devices in South Africa, most consumers appear to be using them to make choices before visiting bricks and mortar shops, according to the results of Broll Property Group’s Retail Consumer Survey 2014.
The results of the survey were released at the annual congress of the SA Council of Shopping Centres, which was recently held in Cape Town, and they reveal that 95 per cent of South African shoppers still prefer to make their purchases face to face.
The survey results also point to another, even more surprising finding: consumers said they expected that visiting shopping centres would continue to be their “channel of choice”in two years time, even though e-commerce numbers are expected to rise.
The survey results reveal that shopping is not simply about the ultimate purchase, but also about the experience.
A physical mall can offer social interaction that buyers cannot get from browsing for products on their phone, tablet or personal computer.
Furthermore, online retailers understand this concept, and start-ups are getting a foothold in the market through a website and then expanding to bricks-and-mortar locations to offer their customers a more personalised experience.
They are finding that they need to use e-commerce and the physical environment to build a relationship with their customer base.
And the South African survey may reflect more widespread consumer trends because, despite the rise in e-commerce, developers are adding more physical store space worldwide.
A recent report by Cushman & Wakefield reveals that 1,800 new shopping centres will be added to the 47,000 malls already in existence by the end of 2016. By that point, total retail space worldwide will equal just over 1 billion square metres.
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