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iStorez Survey Reveals That Consumers Believe Online Shopping Offers Fewer Financial Benefits and Less Variety
(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) SUNNYVALE, CA, November 24 / MARKET WIRE/ --
While researchers cite online shopping as a
relatively bright spot in a dismal market for retailers, a comprehensive
new survey by iStorez reveals consumers are dissatisfied with that option.
Nearly 70% want improvements in their online shopping experience, the
survey reports, and that number is even higher, 78%, for younger shoppers,
a prized demographic. In particular, just 55% find online shopping more
convenient than shopping in stores, only 36% find greater financial
rewards, and a mere 35% find more variety -- a major surprise given that no
store or mall, no matter how big, can match the number of choices available
online. And, here's a perfect snapshot of the American economy today: Only
one in 10 Americans goes shopping just for the fun of it. By contrast, 42%
only go when they "need something." Still, spending big on attire
apparently pays off: Election results notwithstanding, former VP candidate
Sarah Palin, who famously received $150,000 in designer clothing, edged out
(though just barely) incoming First Lady Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain and
Hillary Clinton for having the most admired fashion sense.
Those are just a few of the surprising, sobering and just plain strange
findings of a comprehensive study commissioned by iStorez.com, creator of a
brand new way to shop online that brings all the specials and deals from
the major stores and brands to a single location in a simplified and
uniquely personalized way, and conducted by Kelton Research, a leading
national public opinion company.
"This survey offers further evidence that the continued growth of online
shopping is ready to stall, if it hasn't already, and that's a serious
problem all of us in the retail community need to address -- and fast,"
said Anand Jagannathan, CEO of iStorez. "The truth is that the online
shopping experience hasn't changed much in the last decade. If shoppers are
telling us that online shopping offers less variety than real-world malls,
then we need to listen hard and make some major changes."
Among other findings in the survey:
-- 32% describe themselves as "bargain hunters" who will do everything
they can to get the best deal, like clip coupons or look for sales
-- Only 21% say the Internet offers more personalization than the real
world
-- Half the male community shops for clothes only on an as-needed basis,
while 35 percent of women do. On the flip side, women are much more likely
(38% vs. 26%) to be "bargain hunters"
-- 17% percent would love to be a "perpetual weekender" and always wear
clothing from labels like Dockers or Birkenstock. Far fewer would be happy
as a "metro sophisticate" (8%) or "urban fashionista" (8%) in high-end
designer duds like Armani or DKNY, at least for the long term
-- 40% of 18-34-year-olds approve of Michelle Obama's style, vs. 29
percent of the over-35 crowd.
The survey also offers an unfiltered look at what shoppers like about going
online (and what they might like more): 55% say it's the convenience, while
the number plummets to 21% for personalization. In fact, a better
connection between online and offline shopping -- as well as sites that
streamline and simplify the process -- top the list of desired
improvements.
iStorez, which launched earlier this month, is specifically designed to
provide a complete shopping experience that combines the best of the two
worlds. iStorez puts higher priority on consumer simplicity and usefulness,
focusing on how we shop and easily find what we're looking for. From a
single online destination, and one that takes visual browsing and
discovering to the next level, consumers can shop the latest specials and
promotions from hundreds of top brands and retailers. They can also get a
first-look at new collections and trends, and shop millions of products
from thousands of retailers.
In another major draw, features enable shopping by theme ("look," season,
holiday, event), personality type, color, fabric and more. And powerful
personalization includes letting you create your own personal "My Mall"
populated only with the stores, styles and brands you care about --
continuously refreshed and updated to reflect the latest trends and
up-to-the-minute specials. The "hunt" is always on, but iStorez takes away
the headache of searching site to site, store to store, page by page, rack
by rack.
"Shopping should be fun, it should be cool, and it should be easy. By
piling on volume -- more options coming online at breakneck speed --
without accompanying attempts to provide simplicity and personalization,
we've gotten away from what should be our founding principles," Jagannathan
added. "At iStorez.com, we get back to those basics. And we keep it
personal."
iStorez
My Stores. My Style. My Way.
iStorez is a brand new way to shop the major brands and stores. It provides
a complete shopping experience online
-- mirroring the physical world with the visual Internet equivalent of
shopping by store and theme. For the first time, you can shop all the
latest specials and promotions from more than 500 retailers at once, and
also search 18 million products from 15,000 stores. Everything you want,
when and how you want it, all in one place. iStorez is also the only
destination that lets you create (in minutes) your own personal mall -- a
place that reflects your favorite stores and styles. At iStorez, you can
shop by item, price, size, fabric type, color, horoscope and more. It takes
theme-based shopping to the next level, enabling you to shop by look,
ensemble, seasonal trends, special event, holiday or topic. Personal,
social, viral, complete: www.istorez.com
Media Contact:
Paula Dunne
Contos Dunne Communications
408-776-1400 (o)
408-893-8750 (m)Email Contact
Copyright ? 2008 Marketwire
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