According to a SmarterHQ survey there is a neat split between the two big smart assistants-- 44.4% of respondents own an Amazon Alexa device, while 43.7% own a Google Home product. The rest (11.9%) use the Apple HomePod.
The survey covers the omnichannel shopping habits of 1000 adults in the US. It shows consumers are increasingly distracted as they hop from channel to channel, and smart assistants only add to the issue. As a result, it is increasingly difficult to retain customer loyalty, even as brick-and-mortar stores remain the most popular place to shop.
“Consumers view all the channels they shop on-- online, in-store, through social media, or via assistant home devices-- as a single point-of-contact with a brand, yet many retailers still treat these channels as disparate systems that aren’t connected,” SmarterHQ says. “This puts pressure on marketers to make the brand experience a consistent one, no matter the channel. Without a marketing strategy that includes customer identity resolution, brands risk losing buyers to the more targeted and personalised campaigns of their competitors.”
Interestingly, 53% of respondents own over 3 internet-accessible devices, and likelhood of ownership of a smart assistant increases with the number of children at home. Families with 3 or more children are 35% more likely to have smart assistants, while fewer offspring lead to the use of mobile sites or apps for online needs.
The analyst also points out people prefer an omnichannel shopping experience pairing the convenience of shopping online with purchasing in-store. In fact, 90% of respondents browse online and purchase in-store (or "web-rooming"). Meanwhile 55% of respondents prefer to take returns to a store, as opposed to mailing back (45%), although in-store returns decrease as age increases.
Going back to families with children, stay-at-home parents prefer to shop in-store, since it provides an excuse to get out of the house. Another 80% of respondents add they prefer in-store experience, simply because it allows them to leave with a product in hand on the same day.
Go Home Assistant Devices Add to Already Fragmented Shopper Journey
