About 63% of consumers prefer to shop in a brick-and-mortar store versus online, according to a new study.

The Mobile Experience Survey—released last month by Kentico Software, a Web content and customer experience management provider—found that 85% of smartphone owners use their mobile devices to compare companies, products and pricing before making a purchase. Of those, 45% will do so from a store's actual location.

But whether or not an online shopper buys anything isn't solely dependent on products or pricing—78% of smartphone owners, 75% of tablet owners and 69% of laptop owners say their purchase decision also comes down to the "look and feel" of a company's mobile website. Mobile shoppers also want retailers to come as close as possible to replicating the in-store experience online.

"Our survey suggests that while shoppers like the convenience of shopping online via mobile devices, they still want as much of an in-store experience as possible," said Kentico CEO and founder Petr Palas. "While it may be impossible for businesses to provide mobile shoppers with a 100% in-store experience, they need to make mobile shoppers 'feel' as if they're truly in their stores, touching their products, talking to sales reps and being catered to. Otherwise, they will lose business to those sites that do."

CBA President Curtis Riskey told Christian Retailing that he was not surprised by the survey's findings.

"A Capgemini study found only about 13% of 16,000 digital shoppers surveyed shop online primarily to find best deals on products they know they want," he said. "Most shoppers use their smartphones to get information or to find value. That's why packaging and other value-added benefits or exclusive product lines are keeping Internet shoppers connected to their favorite stores. Physical stores are more about helping people transform into what they aspire to be, not just buying something at the cheapest price."

Riskey noted that retailers "can insert themselves into the shopper's mobile loop by being able to provide additional information from the store shelf via a customer's mobile phone."

Visit www.kentico.com/Company/Press-Center/2013 to read the Kentico survey.

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