The retail landscape may differ from one country to another, yet this remains the same:
At the end of the shopping experience, customers must checkout.
Call it a necessary evil.
Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy, explained, “…nobody has found a way to make the cash/wrap [i.e., checkout] lovable…it should be where all the dazzle goes. Instead, it’s the dreariest part of the process.”
Yet, around the world, checkout is a critical part of the shopping-buying process; it’s one final chance for stores to make a lasting impression.
Time is Money: Take Less, Get More
We surveyed over 2,000 shoppers across seven countries to determine what checkout improvements stores could make to entice more shopper spending.
Above all, this international study convinced us that, for shoppers around the world, time is money. If stores will save them time, shoppers will spend more money.
See also: 5 Benefits of Getting Global with Mobile
As the table below exhibits, a faster, more efficient checkout process would make a majority of shoppers in multiple countries at least a little more likely to buy more groceries or make more store trips.
![% of those who say this checkout improvement would make them at least a little more likely to purchase more groceries or make more frequent trips to the grocery store [CHART]](http://blog.fieldagent.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Evergreen/International/Checkout_International_index-1.png?width=645&name=Checkout_International_index-1.png "% of those who say this checkout improvement would make them at least a little more likely to purchase more groceries or make more frequent trips to the grocery store [CHART]")
At 20%, the spending of Mexicans would increase less dramatically than shoppers in other countries, yet Mexicans still ranked "faster, greater efficiency" second among eight total options.
See also: 7 Reasons Retail Shoppers Aren't Buying Your Products
The results ultimately reflect greater similarity among global shoppers than disparity. Of several potential checkout improvements presented to respondents, every country participating in the survey identified the same top four (displayed in the table above). Mexico was a partial exception, with shoppers from that market including faster payment processes (18%) among their top four.
Going Glob-ile
As mobile audits and research continue to revolutionize how the world collects in-store information and consumer insights, companies will increasingly seek out mobile platforms with worldwide reach. After all, there are many benefits of "getting global with mobile." Download the case study, "Take Your Mobile Global," to explore the advantages of using an international mobile solution-provider.
