[December 10, 2015]

Report: Stores Lag Behind eCommerce Sites in Consumer Personalization

A comprehensive retail market report titled "Great Omnichannel Expectations," reveals that the physical store is falling short of meeting consumer expectations for personalization. Commissioned by iVend Retail™, a leading provider of omnichannel retail software by CitiXsys, the report provides insight on how retailers can deliver experiences that meets the expectations of today's shopper.

The report, based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. and Canadian consumers, reveals that while the physical store is still the most profitable channel for retailers, it has room for improvement when compared to the personalized experience consumers receive while shopping online. Consumers have become conditioned by the convenience of eCommerce. It is essential for retailers to integrate many of the features consumers are experiencing while online shopping, such as targeted deals and advertisements.

"When consumers shop online, they receive an individualized experience - including loyalty offers or recommendations tailored to their specific preferences. While many retailers have made strides in this area, their efforts have not yet fully translated to the physical store, where the consumer is more anonymous," said Tim Barton, Director of Strategic Accounts at CitiXsys. "The findings of this survey and the accompanying report can help retailers make smarter technology investments that will allow the store to perform more strategically."

Some key themes and findings from the report include:

• For convenience, online still rules. A significant majority of consumers said they find shopping online more convenient than in a store. A key concern for consumers is that the online shopping experience feels more personal.
• More personalized loyalty offers and mobile point of sale would improve the store experience. More than four out of ten consumers would like exclusive offers sent to their phone when they enter a store. There is also interest from consumers in having sales associates use tablet devices to take payments so that they can avoid the checkout lines.
• For many retailers, outdated loyalty programs are a missed opportunity. Consumers missing out on loyalty points or coupons before the expiration date is a growing concern that retailers can address by offering digital loyalty programs.
• Nearly half of consumers are doing online research before they visit a store. Retailers must ensure their physical store is well integrated with their digital presence to cater to these informed shoppers.

About iVend Retail

iVend Retail is the omnichannel retail management solution for the way retailers work today. It delivers a fully integrated solution designed to enable change, not just built to last. iVend Retail innovates retail technology, providing a technically-superior solution and offering open APIs which can be integrated broadly with leading ERPs and customer-facing applications. For more information about iVend and CitiXsys, please visit www.ivend.com.

About CitiXsys

With more than 1,000 customers in over 45 countries using its products and solutions, CitiXsys is a leading provider of software products for the retail sector. CitiXsys has its corporate headquarters in New York and offices in Toronto, Mexico City, Panama City, London, Dubai, New Delhi, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151210005731/en/

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