Online shoppers turn to print and digital to plan purchases

Dive Brief:

A variety of promotional paths are helping shoppers plan their online purchases, according to findings from a survey from marketing tech firm Valassis and The NPD Group.
About 40% of online shoppers look at online coupons, while 33% read print circulars at home. Another 33% utilize deals sent via email from retailers.
Online shoppers that see the same ad both in print and online are 61% more likely to purchase an item, and half of shoppers report being more likely to make impulse purchases while shopping online.

Dive Insight:

Although many grocery retailers are trying to focus on their digital platforms, this study proves that they should still be relying on traditional print ads and coupons to market their online offerings. Coupons and discounts are still a key force for driving sales on digital channels, with 30% of respondents saying they would switch from their current service if they were offered a coupon.

Online circulars are still an effective tool when it comes to encouraging shoppers to go online to place an order. They can help shoppers identify sales and discounts and plan their orders before going online, which could speed up their online shopping trip. Otherwise, users potentially have to scroll through hundreds of items or search for something by category.

Despite the need for cross-promotion and customers' tendency to look at both online and offline promotions, retailers could do more to make discounts applicable to online purchases. One-third of online shoppers want to be able to apply coupons online, while 68% reported feeling frustrated that coupons only work in-store.

Two-thirds of survey respondents reported seeking out a specific brand when they shop online, so categorizing items by brand could improve user experience. Brand loyalty can be overcome with better coupons and shipping. Forty-one percent of shoppers looking for faster, cheaper shipping options and better discounts and deals.

Spending money on print ads to drive digital sales may seem counterintuitive, but retailers can likely recoup those advertising spends through impulse purchases. Half of consumers say they are more likely to make impulse buys online versus in-store, and showing or promoting additional products and targeted offerings is much easier online than in-store. Features like sidebars that show other items of interest or recommended products make it incredibly easy for a user to simply click the "add to cart" button.