Time is money for British consumers, and if these shoppers are left waiting for too long then retailers can expect to lose lots of money from abandoned baskets.
On average, British shoppers are only willing to wait a little less than six minutes in a queue before walking out of the shop, a recent study from global retail technology provider, Omnico, reported. The consequences of long waiting times are significant since many customers tend to hold a grudge after a bad queuing experience and refuse to shop at the store again. Hiring more staff to work the tills and shorten customer lines is an option, but adding new till-tenders can be expensive.
Omnico’s research provides more detail and also reveals how advanced mobile technology can help solve the problem of the “abandoned basket.”
Statistics From The Study
Omnico’s study surveyed over 1,344 UK consumers and attempted to better understand how patient British people are when waiting in retail lines, and the implications such patience has on commerce. The average time Brits are willing to wait before ditching their basket is approximately five minutes and 54 seconds.
The study provides specific results by location and lists the major towns and cities across the UK that are the least patient. According to Omnico, shoppers in Plymouth have the least patience. Locals admitted they will only wait an average of 4 minutes and 44 seconds before leaving a store. Conversely, Liverpool proved the most patient city in the country as results indicate shoppers are happy to wait an average of 6 minutes and 47 seconds. Interestingly, Londoners only came in fourth as the most impatient, with people only willing to wait an average of five minutes and 44 seconds.
A committed 19 percent of respondents said they would stay in line despite waiting times. On the other hand, a hasty 16 percent said they refused to wait longer than three minutes before exiting the store.
Results indicate younger consumers have more tolerance for long periods of queuing time compared to older people. Shoppers aged 16-24 reported they would wait in line for up to six minutes and 9 seconds, compared to shoppers aged 55 and over who said they would only wait five minutes and 46 seconds.
Leaving A Bad Impression
When customers leave their baskets behind, the immediate consequence is a lost sale. However there are long-term consequences that retailers need to worry about as well. The study shows that more than half (56 percent) of British shoppers said they would not likely return to a store if they had a bad queue experience. Moreover, results indicate that men were slightly more likely than women to hold these grudges against a shop
“These findings from Omnico reflect a concept known as Heuristics, which is decision making based on past experience,” Mark Rackley, a Chartered psychologist, commented to Omnico about the research.
“When it comes to queuing, people use previous experiences to decide whether they will stay in the queue or leave it. In today’s society when people can buy things within a matter of a few clicks or swipes, without having to wait, they may use a Heuristic and conclude that queuing is inconvenient and thus choose to walk-away. Based on this behavior and as people increasingly experience instantaneous payment, queuing tolerance levels are likely to continue to decrease.”
What do Omnico and Rackley propose the solution is to this basket-ditching problem??
Mobile Point Of Sale
Bill Henry, CEO at Omnico reports that the mobile point of sale is a retailer’s best weapon to combat the issue of checkout abandonment.
“Mobile point of sale ([m]POS) technology is an answer to this problem, as it can be deployed quickly and has a positive impact on retailers’ shop floor estate, offering space saving opportunity as well as reduced capital expenditure,” explained Henry. “It frees sales assistants up to move around the store and answer questions or move to areas that are busiest.”
Paperchase is an example of a UK retailer that employs mobile technology at the point of sale, and the company shares that the impacts have been positive. The stationary shop uses the mobile device to help customers on the sales floor, reduce queue-waiting times and even reduce capital expenditure. Fewer employees need to wait by the tills, which frees up other staff to walk around the store helping customers and even helping to close the sale and accept payment right then and there. Not only does mobile technology reduce waiting times, but it also allows for better quality customer service. Customers don’t need to run around the store looking for different employees to help them: a single employee can offer assistance and accept payment in one go. Omnico reports that 74 percent of retailers with mPOS solutions are more efficient, and 65 percent of customers said they have a better shopping experience when offered mobile solutions.
Henry commented, “Queuing is a pet hate of many people in the UK and our research revealed the detrimental impact it has on retailers, both in terms of abandoned baskets and long term loyalty,” said Bill Henry, CEO at Omnico. “Retailers who focus on preventing abandoned baskets and customer walk-aways will see the compelling benefits to their bottom line.”
To read the full report at Omnico click here
Or to view the study’s infographic look below.
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