Half of Consumers Admit They Spend More When Retailers Personalize the Shopping Experience

A MyBuys study finds that 48 percent of consumers recognize that they purchase more from retailers that leverage shopper interests and buying behavior to personalize the customer experience across all channels. In the seventh annual Personalization Consumer Survey commissioned by MyBuys and conducted by the e-tailing group, 53 percent of consumers said it’s also important that retailers recognize them as the same person across all channels and devices they use to shop. MyBuys, the leading provider of coordinated personalization solutions for display ads, email, websites and mobile, released the personalization study at the eTail West 2015 Conference. The report also highlights that 74 percent of consumers ages 55 and older used their smart phones for product research in 2014, and 33 percent actually made a purchase on their smart phones. Consumers ages 25 to 34 were even more likely to shop on their mobile devices – 94 percent reported researching products on their smart phones while 74 percent said they’d continued on to make a purchase. “Consumers want consistent personalization everywhere they shop and on every device they use,” said Rita Brogley, president and CEO of MyBuys. “By incorporating more tailored content and offers into their marketing strategies, retailers can improve brand loyalty, boost conversion and increase sales.” When it comes to purchasing, the majority of shoppers indicate they spend more with retailers that make website product recommendations based on browsing or buying behavior (53 percent) or target them with online ads based on shopping behavior (52 percent). Almost half say they spend more with retailers that send personalized emails (48 percent). The MyBuys study finds that consumers have not only become more comfortable with personalization – they now expect it. More than a third of survey respondents report getting frustrated when retailers don’t offer personalized website recommendations (39 percent) or send personalized email offers (38 percent), or take into account online purchases (37 percent) or in-store purchases (34 percent) when sending out subsequent marketing offers. “Consumers engage and shop more when they receive a truly personalized shopping experience across all channels,” Brogley said. “When done right, customers consider personalization a valuable service rather than an annoyance.” The evolution of personalization Over the past seven years, the annual MyBuys study has chronicled the evolution of personalized marketing from a new and potentially intrusive technology to a widely accepted and expected e-commerce marketing strategy. The 2015 survey findings show just how far personalization has come: