Smartphone Users Really
Don't Want Stores Stalking Them
Privacy concerns hold shoppers back from opting in
to mobile in-store tracking
Seriously,
smartphone users aren’t fans of in-store tracking. In an April 2014 study by PunchTab,
just 27% of US smartphone owners said they would allow mobile in-store tracking
in order to receive relevant, real-time information and offers. In comparison,
50% were not open to mobile tracking, and 24% didn’t have strong feelings
either way.
Respondents
weren’t holding off on allowing in-store tracking due to concerns around
messaging itself. Instead, the biggest worry was around privacy, cited by 51%.
Meanwhile, just 13% wouldn’t sign up to receive benefits via mobile tracking
because of concerns around too many messages, 12% werent interested because of
intrustiveness, and 8% were worried about receiving irrelevent messages.
According
to respondents, the most acceptable ways for retailers to use in-store tracking
were related to—surprise, surprise—price, with nearly nine in 10 citing
receiving coupons and special offers as OK reasons. Smartphone users also
showed high interest in getting alerts when products they were interested in
went on sale. Convenience played a role, too, with shorter checkout times a top
draw.
Considering
that April 2014 research by CFI Group found that price-related activities
were the top reasons for mobile shopping app usage while in brick-and-mortars,
if retailers can ease privacy concerns, they stand a good chance at driving
higher mobile in-store tracking opt-in rates. Nearly half of respondents used
apps in-store to check other retailer prices—an issue that retailers could
combat if they knew when and where to serve relevant, real-time info and
offers. Fully 45% of respondents said they used apps for coupons and discount
offers, and 38% accessed them to manage coupons.
