Youngsters flock to online shopping and m-commerce

Monday, September 22, 2014 - 13:23 by Paul Tissington

A new survey conducted by Voxburner has revealed that 28 per cent of people aged between 16 and 24 use safe shopping online to purchase most of the fashion items that they buy. And the tech-savvy younger generation is helping to fuel the use of mobile shopping apps, with over a third stating that they use m-commerce services on a regular basis.

Twelve per cent of respondents said that they have gone even further and taken advantage of tools that let you automatically assess the right size clothing before you make an online purchase, which shows just how far ahead of the curve they have become.

Close to a fifth of those questioned said that they have downloaded apps that are designed to accompany a trip to a specific shopping mall. Many of the larger outlet locations have created their own mobile software that is encouraged to increase footfall while also making it easier for consumers to find their way around.

Report spokesperson, Luke Mitchell, explained that clothing, footwear and accessories are key product categories for young adults. And the fact that more of them are using safe shopping online to buy these items suggests that retailers need to stay in sync with such habits, if they are to survive.

The use of smartphones for shopping has also meant that the next generation will have grown up with price comparison tools at their fingertips. So shopping around is second nature to the under 24s, which creates an additional level of challenge for high street shops that want to build up a loyal army of customers.

Online retailers, including ASOS, Amazon and eBay, were all identified as popular brands amongst this age bracket, while on the high street, the likes of Primark and Topshop remain strong.