Study: Millennials Really Like It When Stores Stay In Touch

As both retailers and consumers continue to mature alongside the technology they both use to stay in touch with each other, it’s only to be expected that a good deal from each side figure out ways to optimize digital communications. According to a new study, millennial shoppers already have.

Euclid Analytics, a location-based marketing group, and Harris Poll announced on Wednesday (April 6) the findings of a survey on millennial preferences for retailer-based interactions, and the results were overwhelmingly positive: 74 percent of the 2,115 shoppers 18 years and older indicated that they would like to receive communications from brick-and-mortar retailers during the time they spend in stores, and 81 percent said that it was fine by them if those same companies texted or emailed them after their visits with relevant information.

Brent Franson, CEO of Euclid Analytics, explained that the retailers should take the results to heart when considering what effect the digital revolution has had on what consumers expect from even the least tech-savvy merchant.

“This research clearly illustrates a trend: Millennials and other mobile-connected consumers want from physical retail what they get online — a highly personalized and convenient shopping experience,” Franson said in a statement. “As these shoppers walk into stores, Wi-Fi will create the new ‘logged-in’ experience that bridges the physical and digital worlds.”

While an aggressive stance on proactive consumer engagement can’t hurt, Franson told Refinery29 that the risk of notification fatigue shouldn’t be forgotten. To square consumers’ need for retailers’ attention with the threat of overfishing the waters, Franson emphasized appropriate context through personalization and customization.

​“Millennials have grown up shopping online, getting tailored Netflix recommendations and buying songs on iTunes with the tap of a finger,” Franson told Refinery29. “​This personalization has raised expectations across both offline and online retail experiences​, pushing retailers to stay top of mind with their shoppers after every interaction, whether in a physical store or on a website.”