• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, January 20, 2015

Many mobile consumers in stores want on-demand communication, personalized promotions and don’t trust salespeople.

These tidbits are among a range of mobile insights from a four-year study just completed and handed out at the NRF Big Show recently.

The IBM Institute for Business Value study comprised an analysis of survey data from more than 100,000 consumers in 19 countries.

The study found that when in a store, more than four in 10 (44%) consumers want on-demand communication, while 41% said it is important that store associates offer personalized promotions based on their purchase history or preferences.

The study also found that sales associates ranked last on the list of trusted resources consumers access for product knowledge, which is consistent with other research.

One of the questions in the study dealt with what information consumers are willing to share with retailers they trust, with their current location low on the list. Here’s what customers said they would be willing to share:

• 42% -- Mobile for text messages
• 38% -- Social handle
• 28% --- Current location information

Interestingly, what consumers say does not always align with what they do.

For example, while 42% see the benefit of sharing their location information via GPS, only 28% are willing to do so.

And while 43% of consumers said they prefer to shop online, only 29% made their last purchase online.

Almost half (46%) of consumers said it was important that retail employees use mobile devices to fix an out-of-stock issue, an increase of 6% from the previous year.

The in-store shopping landscape continues to evolve as mobile drives new behaviors.

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