Here's why more than half of Singaporeans still prefer in-store shopping

They want to make sure they could test the product first, a study found.

Although 67% of Singaporean shoppers opt to go on shopping websites before visiting physical stores, more than half (56%) of shoppers still prefer to buy in-store so they can see the quality before they buy a product, a study by UK mobile tech firm Blis found. Meanwhile, 45% said that they want to test the product first so physical stores are more preferable.

On the flipside, 63% of respondents admit that they spent time looking for items in-store prior to purchasing online, which is also called showrooming. Of shoppers who engage in showrooming, 54% do so because they believe they will come across a better deal whilst 40% simply find it more convenient to complete their purchase online.

The study also found that almost half (49%) of Singaporeans consider shopping as a hobby, of which 55% are women between ages 25 and 65. Moreover, whilst 79% say they shop when they need a specific item, 45% say they do so because it makes them feel happy.

“The market in Singapore demonstrates to us that retail isn’t facing its imminent demise, it is simply evolving to keep up with rapidly shifting consumer preferences and behaviours. Physical stores are still part of the shopper’s journey, but they no longer comprise the entire journey. That journey now includes touch points on multiple devices, including desktops, tablets and mobile phones,” Richard Andrew, managing director for Asia at Blis said in a report.

Amongst different categories, Singaporeans preferred to shop in physical stores when it comes to food and groceries (79%), followed by furniture and home furnishing (69%), and household appliance (61%), the study found.