Reverse Showrooming: Brick-And-Mortar Retailers Are Fighting Back

Over the past few years with the explosion of smartphones showrooming has been a concern for brick-and-mortar retailers.  You may wonder what showrooming is.  It’s when consumers are in a physical retail store and then use their phones to comparison shop in hopes of finding a cheaper price.

Well is appears that the tides have turned.  According to a BI Intelligence report there is a reverse showrooming phenomenon going on.  Some consumers are researching products online and THEN head to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase the product.

What tactics are physical retail stores using to fight showrooming?

• Hiring better sales staff
• Better training for staff about product knowledge, etc..
• Offering in-store pick-up for online orders
• Installing Wi-Fi in the retail stores
• Offering smartphone discounts to encourage showroomers to buy in-store.
• Using social media more to generate referral sources and engagement
• More integration of digital marketing with the physical store
• Creating ways to beat ecommerce competition at CONVENIENCE
• Using mobile phones and tablets as POS systems
• robotic arms used to deliver clothes to dressing rooms’
• Providing in store maps to make it easy for consumers to find what they are looking for

If you would like to see the full report click here.  They may ask you to sign up for a free trial subscription to access it.