What is a Showroom Customer?

A showroom shopper in retail is a consumer who visits brick-and-mortar stores to examine products but ultimately purchases them online at a lower price. This practice, known as showrooming, allows shoppers to research and experience items firsthand before benefiting from the often lower prices offered by online retailers.

What is Showrooming?

At its core, showrooming refers to the practice where shoppers visit physical stores to examine, try on, or learn more about products but make their final purchase online, often at a lower price. This trend has gained momentum with the widespread adoption of smartphones and easy access to e-commerce platforms. Consumers can now effortlessly perform price comparisons, read reviews, and find the best deals online while still benefiting from the tactile experiences physical stores offer.

Examples include testing electronics or trying on apparel in-store before buying them online. This trend impacts physical stores by potentially leading to lost sales, as consumers may prefer the convenience and cost savings of e-commerce.

The Profile of a Consumer Who Showroom

Consumers who showroom are actively seeking the best of both worlds — the tactile, immediate experience of physical retail and the competitive pricing and convenience of online shopping. Consumers engaging in showrooming are typically well-informed, tech-savvy, and price-conscious. They value the ability to physically interact with a product before making a purchase decision but are equally keen on stretching their dollars further. These shoppers often use mobile devices in-store to check for better deals, leveraging apps and websites that compare prices across multiple retailers.

Combating Showrooming

To combat showrooming, brick-and-mortar retailers offer better in-store experiences, match prices, allow in-store returns and exchanges for online purchases, and provide curbside pickup. Smaller stores and boutiques may also hold special sales, sell in-store merchandise via their websites, create membership clubs, and promote a shop’s local culture.

A personalized shopping experience for customers can also help combat showrooming. It allows shoppers to try out different products for themselves with the help of a shopping assistant and speak with customer service one-on-one, fostering a unique and engaging retail environment. Brick-and-mortar retailers counteract this by offering price-matching policies, exclusive in-store offers, and superior customer service.

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