LINCOLN SQUARE — Though some brick-and-mortar retailers have been hit hard by customers' shift to online shopping, more people purchase items in-store after researching merchandise online rather than the reverse, according to a newly released study of consumer habits.
The practice is called "webrooming," and it's becoming increasingly popular among 18- to 26-year-olds (Generation Z), according to the FutureBuy study from the market research firm GfK.
Forty-six percent of Gen Z shoppers have engaged in "webrooming" versus 32 percent who've done the opposite (called "showrooming") — buying an item online after seeing it in the store.
Among shoppers of all ages, "webrooming" holds a 13 percent advantage over "showrooming" — with 34 percent of shoppers reporting the former behavior compared with 21 percent for the latter, according to the study.
The top reason people avoid online shopping: the cost of package delivery.
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