duct online price comparisons, with 87 per cent of 30 to 39 year olds doing it on a regular basis. In the past three months, 78 per cent of shoppers have purchased a product or service online. Contactless payment technology is slowly becoming an option for shoppers who choose to shop at bricks and mortar stores. “Rejection of the idea is not as high as it was in 2013 but paying at the checkout using a mobile phone is still not widely accepted with 40 per cent saying they wouldn’t do this compared to 29 per cent who are open to it,” Ireland said. Shoppers from metropolitan areas are most likely to adapt to contactless payments (38 per cent of those surveyed), and those aged 18 to 29 (37 per cent). The most resistant to moving to contactless payments are females (46 per cent of those surveyed), those aged over 50 (51 per cent) and those from non-metropolitan areas (51 per cent). Recommending a product or service through a social media network is becoming more popular, with 29 per cent having done this in 2014, compared with 23 per cent in 2011. Forty per cent of those in the 18 to 29 age group have shared their shopping experience through social media, and are the most likely age group to do so. There is still a place for traditional retail, despite the uptake of technology for shopping, Ireland said. “Kiwis’ willingness to embrace technology only opens up opportunities for retail to deliver experiential opportunities that online can’t do. Innovation in store and online has the potential to be a powerful combination for any retailer.”