MAPIC: Young shoppers still want to 'touch and feel' products

Visiting a store to 'touch and feel' products as part of the online shopping process is considered most important for 86% of young shoppers aged 16 to 24, a CBRE survey has found, something which runs counter to common perception.

The CBRE findings reveal that the European shopper of the future likes to handle products before buying, is a more advanced user of technology, and expects an entertainment experience from retail centres.

The new survey, which was released during the Mapic retail fair in Cannes, is based on the opinions of more than 10,000 people across 10 European countries. It found that young adults are the most frequent shoppers across virtually all locations and methods including online, shopping malls, and local shops.

Young adults are much more familiar with digital technology than older age groups and are most likely to use blogs or social media for product reviews and the best price. Young adults also shop most frequently in town centres or high streets due to the ease of access and low car ownership. Lower income consumers of all ages also plan to use their cars less for shopping in the future and this will increase the overall frequency of local shopping further.

Mikhail Rogozhin, managing director of retail at CBRE Russia, said: 'This research supports two ideas. First of all, development of online sales does not seem to be a strong threat for traditional retail. Secondly, retail schemes are to have attractive entertainment and lifestyle components to minimize this threat in the future. In addition, there is a good opportunity to attract young audience in the shopping malls via creation of a so-called digital environment, leveraging on a set of multiple functions, offered by modern gadgets.'

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