Thanks to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, consumers have information available at their fingertips when and where they need it. According to Deloitte, digital interactions now influence 56 cents of every dollar spent in brick-and-mortar stores. A study conducted by Salsify on more than a thousand online shoppers shows what impacts their decisions when they shop and buy.

• 77% of shoppers use a mobile device while shopping in-store.
• 35% of shoppers opt to speak to a salesperson if they have questions about a product.
• 87% of consumers say accurate, rich, and complete product content is very important when deciding what to buy.
• 84% of consumers between the ages of 18 and 29 are most likely to use a mobile device when shopping online, followed closely by 78% of the 30 to 44 group and just 36% of the 60+ set.
• 87% of shoppers begin the path to purchase on either Amazon or Google.
• While only 4% of consumers who start on Amazon will buy somewhere else, 38% who start a search on Google will buy from a different retailer.
• 50% of shoppers have returned an item they bought online because it did not match the product description. 5 percent of those who returned items are less likely to buy from that vendor again.

“Consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to answer product-related questions, like price and availability, while they shop,” said Jason Purcell, CEO and co-founder of Salsify, in a press release. “This year’s research again demonstrates just how critical it is for every brand and retailer to have a systematized approach to maintain robust and relevant digital content to retain shopper attention and win sales.”