Salesforce Unwraps Research Ahead of Holidays: 77% of Shoppers Avoid Stores During the Season, and Mobile Shopping is Overtaking Desktop and Tablets for the First Time

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce [NYSE: CRM], the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today released research showing that 77% of shoppers avoid physical stores during the holiday season, and mobile shopping has overtaken shopping on desktops and tablets for the first time. The new reports —  the "2016 Connected Shoppers Report" and the "Q3 2016 Shopping Index" — explore the current attitudes, habits and behaviors of today's global shoppers.

The Salesforce "2016 Connected Shoppers Report" surveyed more than 4,000 adults (referred to as "shoppers" or "consumers") in Canada, U.K. and U.S., whereas the Salesforce "Q3 2016 Shopping Index" is based on the buying activity of more than 500 million shoppers worldwide, based on data from digital commerce sites transacting on the Salesforce Commerce Cloud.

With holiday spending expected to increase 10% during the 2016 holiday season,¹ it is more important than ever for retailers to improve their in-store, online and mobile experiences in order to delight shoppers and increase their revenues during these critical months.

Salesforce Research Key Findings

• Consumers are taking control of the shopping experience.
  • More than three-quarters (80%) of shoppers research products before purchasing them online, with websites being the preferred research tool for all ages.²
  • As adoption of social grows, social media is also becoming a bigger driver of traffic to retail sites, accounting for 3.1% of all digital traffic — a 55% increase over last year.³
• Mobile shopping options and other disruptors are impacting the traditional shopping experience.
  • Mobile shopping momentum continues to surge with more than half (51%) of all digital commerce traffic coming from mobile phones compared to computers (40%) and tablets (9%).³
  • New merchandise rental services and monthly subscription services for groceries and health products are gaining popularity among millennials who have used these types of  services more than twice as much as Gen Xers and five times as much as Baby Boomers.²
• Consumers are looking for better service from retailers.
  • More than half of millennials are open to sharing data regarding their preferences (56%) and would like retailers to leverage location-based services (39%) if it would lead to better service.²
  • Customer service extends into fulfillment, where shoppers are routinely and increasingly enjoying free shipping, with 67% of all orders shipping for free.³
• 'Tis the season of online shopping.
  • The vast majority of shoppers (77%) avoid physical stores during the holidays, namely due to crowds (58%), traffic (33%) and the convenience of online shopping (29%).²
  • This peak shopping season, shoppers will buy a wider assortment of products, 13% more than last year.³

Comments on the News

• "Retailers are traditionally B2C companies," said Shelley Bransten, SVP, Retail Industry Solutions, Salesforce. "However, with consumers now in control of the shopping experience, they increasingly need to be 'Me2B,' creating personalized experiences based on shoppers' preferences."
• "Mobile commerce is enabling shoppers to browse, basket and buy on their terms, whenever and wherever they want," said Rick Kenney, head of consumer insights, Salesforce Commerce Cloud. "Leading retailers must accelerate their shifts towards investing and optimizing all-things mobile."

Additional Resources

• Download a full copy of the "2016 Connected Shoppers Report" here.
• Download a full copy of the "Q3 2016 Shopping Index" here. 
• Like Salesforce on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/salesforce.
• Follow @salesforce on Twitter.

"2016 Connected Shoppers Report" Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Salesforce from October 21-25, 2016, among 2,019 adults ages 18 and older in the United States, among 1,077 adults ages 18 and older in Canada, and among 1,010 adults ages 18 and older in the United Kingdom. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

"Q3 2016 Shopping Index" Methodology
The Shopping Index measures digital commerce growth and is the product of two key factors — shopping attraction and shopper spend. Salesforce sourced data from digital commerce sites transacting on the Demandware Commerce Cloud that were live and transacting since July 2015. The index incorporates the behavioral data of more than 500 million shoppers interacting with those sites. The index and the corresponding set of key digital commerce metrics is published quarterly. The Shopping Index is not indicative of the operational performance of Salesforce Commerce Cloud, or its reported financial metrics including GMV growth and comparable customer GMV growth.

About Salesforce
Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit http://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

¹ PwC, "2016 Holiday Outlook," October 2016
² Salesforce, "2016 Connected Shoppers Report," 2016
³ Salesforce, "Q3 2016 Shopping Index," 2016

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