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If you've ever pulled out your phone in a store to order an item for cheaper on the internet, then the answer is yes. Showrooming is the shopping practice of browsing product in store, but purchasing via mobile—presumably for a cheaper price, and more likely than not via Amazon. And, according to NY-based think tank L2, 82% of us are doing it.
This, naturally, is wreaking havoc on retailers' holiday sales strategies. Mashable reports on all the kinds of things the major brick-and-mortar brands are doing to combat showrooming this season:
· Target is rolling out QR codes so shoppers can scan and buy toys on their cellphones
· Walmart is offering same-day service
· Toys R Us is introducing its own tablet products
· So is electronics behemoth Best Buy
Essentially, since people seem to be insisting on using the internet to shop, brands are trying to make mobile shopping through their own apps and e-commerce sites more attractive to customers than shopping on Amazon.
We're curious: Do you ever see something you like in a store and then look for it cheaper on the internet? Do you think you'll be doing more "showrooming" this holiday season than you have in the past? Speak your mind in the comments.
· How Mobile Commerce Is Shaking Up the Retail Landscape [Mashable]
· Macy's Ranked #1 Online Retailer of 2012 [Racked]
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