• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, December 20, 2012

So turns out you’re not the only one amazed at how much more you know about products than the average sales associate in a smock: A new poll from Motorola finds that 61% of retail managers think so, too.

Last year, 59% agreed that consumers are typically better connected to product information than their in-store associates. Shoppers second that, with the feeling strongest among Gen Y (46%), followed by Gen X (38%) and roughly a third of Baby Boomers.

And just-released research from SapientNitro reveals that 70% of shoppers wish retailers would do more to enhance the in-store experience with technology, including allowing them to buy in store but have products shipped home for free, which 79% would like; free Wi-Fi (63%); and interactive displays or kiosks (57%). 

Smartphone users would also like to see promotional store circulars on their phones (56%) and in store navigation devices (59%). 

The survey also reveals that that majority -- 51%--are “showrooming.” This holiday season, 33% of digital users have first gone into a store to investigate an item, with the idea of buying it later online. And 40% -- up from 33% last year -- say they have gone into a store after researching the product online, while 27% bought a product online after shopping for a similar item in a store.

Interestingly, the survey also found that while consumers want more shopping in their lives, 62% wish stores wouldn’t open earlier on Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, forecasters are pulling back a bit on earlier holiday spending forecasts. ShopperTrak, which tracks mall traffic and sales, says it is lowering its prediction to a sales gain of 2.5% this season, down from 3.3% projected in September. While the company still anticipates a 2.8% gain in foot traffic, the first increase since 2008, it says it is lowering the estimate based on the amount of heavily-discounted merchandise, as well as the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy.