Consumers Want Friction-Free Shopping on Connected Devices

In a recent edition of PYMNTS Intelligence’s ongoing How We Will Pay Report, “Multitasking Consumers Want to Shop — and Work — at the Same Time,” we examined how the ubiquity of connected devices and apps has altered how U.S. consumers spend their time. 

The report, based on surveys with more than 4,600 U.S. consumers, also offered insights into the growing role connected devices play in the average shopping experience. 

For instance, we learned that 74% of consumers use their connected devices while shopping, and 55% of those say they log in specifically to enhance their shopping efforts. 

With that in mind, we dug in a little deeper to find out which features and enhancements people would like to see to further augment their shopping experience — both features that are now available and some that are not yet ready.

The most popular feature — resonating with 41% of consumers — would enable shoppers to use their smartphone to snap a photo of something that catches their eye and automatically be redirected to the product page where they could buy it. (Nearly 8% say they can already do this.)

Thirty-eight percent also expressed an interest in a function that could enable them to see how potential purchases would look on them or in their living space; meanwhile, 34% said they would welcome a smart dressing room mirror that could suggest additional items to complement a purchase.

Thirty-four percent of consumers would like a feature that would contact the nearest coffee outlet on their way to work in the morning. Even better, they said, if the app could automatically order and pay for their favorite beverage and have it ready to go when they arrive. 

One-third of respondents said they want touch-screen functionality that will enable them to purchase items featured in a show they are streaming, whether it’s a piece of jewelry or an outfit. Nearly 5% of respondents said they can already do this.

As “Multitasking Consumers Want to Shop — and Work — at the Same Time” points out, many of these features are more than hypothetical. For instance, nearly 8% of consumers using Google Lens can use smartphone pictures to re-route to product URLs.

Clearly, consumers want to be able to simply want an item — whether seen in real life, on a show or in an ad or product recommendation — determine whether the item meshes with their current lifestyle and effortlessly purchase it without having to deal with hassles or friction. The strong interest reflected in our survey findings suggested that those digital features not yet available will likely be here soon.