The Truth About Showrooming

Showrooming — the act of checking prices on a mobile device in a store and then purchasing at another retailer —has been feared by retailers as a behavior that will lead to the demise of retail stores. However, retail press has recently exclaimed that showrooming is dead, pointing to price matching and the adoption of tax laws by Internet pure plays as proof. Unfortunately, these exclamations are far from the truth: Showrooming is here to stay. In fact, price checking in-aisle will continue to grow and will become a frequent shopping behavior. eBusiness leaders who are responsible for driving mobile strategy in-stores must understand and anticipate current and future showrooming trends and establish strategies to take advantage of this common behavior. This report highlights current showrooming trends and recommends conversion improvement tactics that leverage showrooming behavior.