Brick and mortar store owners can take heart from a recent survey done by Harris Poll for Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates.
Nearly half of those surveyed – 47 percent – said they prefer shopping in-store over online.
That’s not to say that in-store shoppers eschew technology.
About 35 percent said self-serve kiosks and checkouts improve their shopping experience.
There also was good news for mom-and-pop stores in the survey results.
More than 40 percent of those surveyed said supporting local small businesses was important, with 45 percent of Baby Boomers agreeing, 37 percent of Gen Xers and 38 percent of millennials.
Of all age groups, millennials were most likely to prefer shopping in person at smaller boutiques or shops instead of shopping at large department stores – 27 percent compared to 17 percent of Gen Xers and 16 percent of Baby Boomers.
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The message in this for big box stores is that they need to adapt by reconfiguring space to look more like their smaller competitors and encourage more foot traffic, said Fred Schmidt, president and COO of Coldwell Banker Commercial.
