Rise of the Connected Shopper: 61 Percent of Retail Managers Report Consumers Better Informed Than Associates

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The 6^th annual installment of the Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) Holiday Shopping Study found that technology continues to radically transform the traditional holiday shopping experience as 61 percent of surveyed retail managers believe that shoppers are better connected to information than in-store associates, increasing from nearly 59 percent in 2011 and 51 percent in 2010.

Surveyed shoppers echoed a similar sentiment - as nearly one-half (46 percent) of Gen Y shoppers, four in ten (38 percent) Gen X shoppers and one-third (32 percent) Boomer shoppers felt better connected to product information than associates.

According to the study, the increasing utilization of shopping-related technologies is having an impact on the shopper experience across varied age demographics.

• 64 percent of Gen Y and 52 percent of Gen X shoppers used their personal mobile device for shopping-related activities compared to only 37 percent of Boomer and less than 15 percent of pre-Boomer shoppers.
• 46 percent of Gen Y and 36 percent of Gen X shoppers agreed that they can more readily locate information on their personal mobile device rather than asking a store associate for assistance. Only 19 percent of Boomer and less than 12 percent of pre-Boomer shoppers agreed.
• 54 percent of Gen Y and 43 percent of Gen X shoppers were likely to access guest Wi-Fi for shopping-related activities. This compares to 34 percent of Boomer shoppers and 20 percent of pre-Boomer shoppers.
• Boomers are four times more likely to increase their spending as the result of a helpful associate than by using self-service technology.