Surveys reveal mixed emotions around online shopping

Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 10:13 by Sarah Collinson

A pair of reports published this month suggest that consumers are in disagreement about the emotions that are caused by carrying out safe shopping online.

The first study from Rokt found that almost two thirds of people experience happiness when anticipating a session of e-commerce therapy, according to Internet Retailing.

Forty three per cent of respondents said that safe shopping online made them excited, while a little over a third said that they felt like they had achieved something productive after making a purchase.

At the other end of the spectrum, a survey from Clicktale involving consumers from both America and the UK found that 18 per cent of Brits find the entire idea of e-commerce a stressful prospect.

Online shopping is still preferred to high street visits in terms of stress levels, but 15 per cent of those questioned said that they had flown off the handle when attempting to navigate a particularly poorly designed website or retail app.

Report spokesperson, Geoff Galat, said that while more online outlets were attempting to court customers with bespoke shopping experiences at the moment, it is clear that there are still plenty of people who take issue with the way that e-commerce is handled.

The proportion of consumers that get stressed by online shopping may represent a minority of the market as a whole, but it is also likely that this group will be the most vocal about their problematic online encounters.

Galat said that it was important for retailers to consider how emotions have an impact on their customers during their e-commerce journey, from when they first arrive on the site to when they finally commit to a purchase. Any small hurdles or minor frustrations can mount up to cause stress and strife if not kept in check.