Dive Summary:

• Results from a study released by GE Capital Retail Banks indicate that 81% of American consumers usually research retail items online before making in-store purchases, an increase of 20% from 2012.
• “While online research plays a bigger role throughout the major purchase process, 60% of consumers start by visiting a search engine, then go to the retailer’s website, and ultimately, 88% made their final purchase in store,” says Toni White, CMO with GE Capital.
• The results were gathered by surveying shopping tendencies involving purchases of $500 or more in a variety of categories.

From the article:

“These insights can help guide merchants in building better businesses by developing holistic marketing plans and effective sales training and digital strategies,” adds White. “The propensity for using the credit program again was also high, with 79% of cardholders stating they are likely to use their card again, so cultivating loyalty and high customer satisfaction can lead to reuse, referrals and favorable reviews.”