Consumers Still Value ‘Old Tech’ For In-Store

With the onslaught of new technologies hitting the retail scene, it seems consumers are still gravitating more towards traditional tech when they need help shopping in-store.

Market research firm First Insight released the results of its latest consumer survey yesterday (Aug. 12), which showed that while consumers have access to newer technologies to help enhance their in-store experiences, many still rely on older technologies.

Price barcode scanners, like the ones found sprawled through the aisles of retailers like Target and Walmart, were found to be the in-store technology survey respondents found the most helpful while shopping.

In stark contrast, innovative technologies like beacons and facial recognition technologies barely made a blip on the radar.

According to First Insight’s “Consumer Survey Report,” 70 percent of consumers surveyed admitted to not knowing the definition of an in-store beacon, even though it remains one of the most talked about in-store technologies.

Facial recognition technology actually fared worst among the respondents — 75 percent of consumers said they would refuse to shop at a store that utilized facial recognition for marketing purposes. But attitudes softened a bit when discounts entered the picture, as the number dropped to 55 percent when consumers were told there would be benefits associated with the use of the technology.

The results may have retailers thinking twice about the ways in which they introduce new capabilities to shoppers in-store, but for now the push towards new technologies continues.

Target, the nation’s second-largest general retailer, announced last week that it is rolling out beacons on a trial basis at 50 of its stores in the next several weeks.

For users that explicitly opt in through the Target app, the company plans to import information and deals directly to their iPhones (the program is launching first for iOS only — though Target did confirm that an Android version of the beacon program is on the way).

Target is new to the beacon bandwagon, which in the last several months has seen several high-profile sign-ons, including mall developer Simon, Macy’s, GameStop and Lord & Taylor, just to name a few. According to a November 2014 study by marketing platform provider Swirl, 73 percent of consumers surveyed indicated that beacons (done right) up the odds of their buying when they are in-store.

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