How do consumers feel about the shift in technology and does their age make a difference?
By utilising technology such as self-service kiosks, tablets, facial recognition technology, touchscreens, mobile apps, texts and much more, retailers are able to personalise their offerings in ways they were never able to before. But how does the consumer really feel about this?
Nearly half (49%) of 16-24 year olds feel either quite comfortable or very comfortable with technology that helps the retailer understand more about their buying habits. 49% and 56% feel comfortable or very comfortable with technology that records information such as their gender, age and the time they spend in-store, and technology that recognises how many times they have been in-store.
That said, the line is drawn differently depending on age demographics, as looking at the 55+ category, it was clear that this age group was decidedly uncomfortable with these types of technologies. 72% of 55+ respondents stated that they felt either quite or very uncomfortable with technology in-store that helps the retailer understand more about their behaviour. 80% felt either quite uncomfortable or very uncomfortable with technology that records information such as gender, age and the time they spend in store and likewise 72% reported that they felt either very or quite uncomfortable with technology that recognises how many time they have been in-store.