Connected consumers know more about products than in-store retail assistants

Tech-savvy consumers are leaving retail assistants feeling that they can be of little assistance when it comes to providing information about the products they are selling in store.

Armed with comparison shopping mobile applications and connected smartphones, this holiday season's shoppers went into retail stores equipped with detailed information about the products they were shopping for.

The "connected shopper" trend is having the heaviest impact on retailers that have not yet invested in technology and training to help their staff stay ahead of the curve; 55 percent of retailers believe that shoppers are better connected to product information than the people trying to help them in store.

Since their inception, online shopping sites and mobile shopping comparison apps have been changing the retail landscape.

Shoppers have been seduced by shopping sites that automatically provide them with product reviews, discount coupons and much, much lower prices than their brick and mortar counterparts.

"Nearly three in 10 (28 percent) store visits ended with an average of $132 unspent due to abandoned purchases driven by deal-habituated behavior, out-of-stocks, limited store associate assistance and long check-out processes," said Motorola Solutions in a study released on January 10.

Of surveyed retailers, 87 percent said it was easy for tech-savvy shoppers to find a better deal elsewhere.