Nearly 3 in 4 consumers - 72 per cent - rely on in-store shopping as part of their primary buying method, according to research by IBM.

The company’s research surveyed over 19,000 respondents across 28 countries in September 2021.

Most consumers - including 57 per cent of Generation Z and 59 per cent of Millennials - still shop in stores at least weekly.

However, just under half - 45 per cent - of consumers say in-store shopping is still their primary buying method.

Self-checkout services are proving popular with consumers according to the report, 71 per cent of consumers said they use or would like to use these type of services

Just over six-in-ten - 64 per cent - said the same for ordering online and picking up in-store.

The biggest driver for choosing to shop in-store was touching and feeling products before buying them, which was cited by half of consumers.

Other drivers for in-store shopping were the ability to pick and choose their own products, which was cited by 47 per cent of respondents, and getting products right away, which was cited by 43 per cent.

“While many surveyed consumers still place high value on the traditional in-store shopping experience, they also now expect the flexibility to build their own shopping journey - according to the behaviours prevalent to their age range, available tools, and the product category they are looking to purchase,” said Mark Mathews, vice president of research development and industry analysis at the National Retail Federation. “This ‘hybrid’ approach is a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour.”

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