Online Research Drives In-Store Buying

Shocking news from the CMO Council’s report Impact of Online Research on Off-Line Retail Buying Dispostions & Outcomes:

“The Internet has eclipsed radio, TV and magazines as a source of influence on in-store retail consumer electronics buyers, according to The CMO Council’s RetailFluency Report, which details the effect that online research has on retail buying inclinations and outcomes conducted offline. Findings from a poll of nearly 350 shoppers exiting BestBuy, CompUSA and Circuit City stores in four US markets suggest that Internet research helps solidify brand awareness, increases product influence, and can drive in-store traffic.”

The timing of this study and its conclusions are really a non-event when you consider the impact that online communities have made on consumers’ impressions regarding consumer electronics and many other products. Published October 19, 2005, it could have been done in 2000. Those of use that work to help companies build online relationships with their customers preach that the relationships result in not only online purchases, but also offline as well.

For example, Cabelas had a fantastic online community that discussed everything there is to know about fishing, hunting, and outdoor equipment. A lot of customers prefer to shop online since they are not near a Cabelas retail store. However, when we were involved in building the community and looked at the registration data a few years back (2000), we noticed a large number of members from areas around the stores themselves had registered. These folks were using peer-to-peer interactions to learn more about Cabelas products before going to the stores and buying…

So, the impact of the CMO article is limited in many respects except one…. maybe coming from a well respected group of marketing executives will allow the non-believers out there to understand that the internet store does not always cannabalize in-store sales…

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