Empty shelves, long queues and self-checkouts: the grievances that most bother British in-store shoppers, according to YouGov research.
Differences emerge when we dig into the gender dynamics. Women (41%) express more dissatisfaction with empty shelves compared to men (32%). While around a third of women (34%) are bothered by shops not stocking products they have seen online, only 25% of men echo the sentiment.
On the flip side, waiting in line is more irksome for men (31%) than women (28%). Yet, for issues like self-checkout, paying for bags, staff knowledge, messy merchandising, and staff shuffling, minimal gender disparities exist.
Shifting focus to age groups, those aged 18-24 (36%) and 25-34 (34%) top the dissatisfaction charts regarding unstocked online products. Dissatisfaction with empty shelves peaks among the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups (41% each). Paying for bags is more irksome for the 25-34 age group (32%), while waiting in line vexes 29% of the 45-54 age group and 31% of those over 55.
The use of self-checkout becomes progressively more bothersome as age increases, peaking at 34% for the 55+ age group. Messy merchandising is a relatively consistent concern across age groups, with a slight increase among those between 45 to 54 years (21%). Untidy changing rooms are more bothersome for the 18-24 age group (13%) compared to older age brackets.
The lack of staff knowledge about products on sale annoys 27% of consumers over 55 years. Being passed from one person to another to address a question is reported more frequently among the 35-44 age group (16%). The requirement to give name and address for returns is a concern for 17% of the 45-54 age group.
Concerns about waiting in line for changing rooms and limits on the number of items allowed in changing rooms bothers very few people across all age groups.
Overall, the data paints a vivid picture of diverse perspectives on in-store shopping experiences.
