ExchangeWire Research’s weekly roundup brings you up-to-date research findings from around the world, with additional insight provided by Rebecca Muir, head of research and analysis, ExchangeWire. In this week’s edition: Slipping footfall; Trust issues over data; Millennials drive online travel bookings; and Asian money flows to European tech.
Slipping footfall
Retail footfall is on the decline, finds research by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard. Footfall fell 0.9% in September, which represents a return to the slide seen before the 0.1% rise in August, as high street visitors diminished after two stronger months. At the same time, retail spending levels grew 1.3%.
Shopping centres were hit hardest, with footfall slipping 2.5% in September, accelerating the fall from the 1.9% in August and above the 2.1% three-month average.
Theo Theodorou, EMEA MD, xAd, says: “The results from the BRC-Springboard Retail Footfall Monitor are the latest indicator that it is now more important than ever to link online and offline journeys. Retail spending is still growing, and this should of course translate into consistent footfall in-store, which obviously didn’t happen during September.
“The issue for retailers is that shoppers’ expectations have risen. For example, 20% of people who carry out a retail-related research on their phone want businesses to be within one mile of their current location, according to our 2016 UK Mobile Path to Purchase study. This gives retailers ample opportunity to engage those more impatient and impulse shoppers within close proximity to businesses by utilising location to deliver via mobile the most contextual brand experiences and drive them into store.
“As we approach key shopping days in the run up to the festive season, such as Black Friday, there is a huge opportunity for retailers to utilise intelligence derived through location within their comms strategy to point audiences in the right direction. Store visits and real-world behaviours are a much higher indicator of purchase intent than online searches; and, therefore, give us a much clearer idea of what consumers find to be of value. By aligning these insights with targeting strategies and relevant creative, retailers have the opportunity to drive shoppers to brick-and-mortar stores and, ultimately, boost their high street sales during the retail rush.”
Trust issues over data
More than nine-in-ten (93%) of consumers are concerned how brands use and share their online activity, says research by Janrain. The study shows 47% are willing to share their account data and activity as long as it's used only by the company, while 45% want the company to be very clear in how their info will be used.
For many, it depends on the amount and type of data being shared. Over a third (39%) are comfortable with sharing movies, books, or sports teams they've ‘liked’ on Facebook, for instance. This presents brands with a growing opportunity to connect to the interests and hobbies of consumers for much deeper relationships.
On the other hand, fewer are willing to share information such as: political views (13%), religion (12%), relationship status (10%), friends (8%), and photos (7%).
The study finds companies must exercise caution in how customer data is used. Nearly half of those surveyed say brands are failing in the way they market to them. Misuse of data leads to serious ramifications: a third of web users will punish over-marketing by not returning to the offender's website, while a quarter say they'll stop buying products from the company altogether.
Millennials drive online travel bookings
UK consumers are increasingly planning and booking travel digitally, according to research by Signal. More than half (51%) of people regularly use two or more devices for planning and booking trips, suggesting travel agents need to create better cross-channel experiences to engage always-on travellers and increase conversions and loyalty.
Although desktop is still the device of choice for planning (52%) and booking (46%), mobile is gaining in popularity. Almost half (42%) use their smartphones for booking airline tickets and hotel rooms more frequently than they did a year ago. This is compared to just a 15% increase in desktop use.
It is millennials who are the driving force behind mobile growth within travel. Nearly half (48%) planned travel through their smartphones last year.
Consumers are also craving a tailored travel booking experience. More than a fifth (22%) say a tailored booking experience is something they expect from travel companies, while the same amount want offers that are bespoke to them. Again, this behaviour is being driven by young people – 29% of those aged 18-34 say they most desire a booking experience that is customised to their needs and preferences.
Asian money flows to European tech
Asian investors are set to transform the European technology industry, according to Magister Advisors. Buyers from Asia will acquire USD$2-3bn (£1.6-2.4bn) of sub-USD$500m (£407m) companies this year. This figure is ten-times higher than it was in 2013. Blockbuster acquisitions of Supercell and ARM are platform deals that create new European business units for Asian buyers.
The study predicts that by 2021 30% of European tech M&A and investment will be driven by Asian buyers. The UK remains the destination of choice. Over a third of European tech investments and M&A since 2014 have poured into the UK tech scene.
Magister Advisors puts this down to a number of factors. Principal among these is the fact China’s 2015 growth rate was the slowest it has been in 25 years, causing businesses to seek investment opportunities elsewhere. There is also a desire to buy the best tech from abroad, and bring it back to Asia, as the demand for transformational technology in the region rises.