Study finds online shoppers are big spenders

Friday, September 25, 2015 - 10:59 by Simon Crisp

A new report has revealed that the price of an item is directly linked to the likelihood that a consumer will choose to buy it online, according to Internet Retailing.

The latest Savvy survey revealed that higher price items are more likely to be snapped up online than those worth under £20, with this particular point being the minimum amount at which people are usually willing to make an online purchase.

Fifty three per cent of the items bought online and delivered to the homes of the 1,000 people who participated in the study, cost more than £20. Meanwhile, just under a tenth of those questioned had items of this value or greater arranged to be collected at their nearest bricks and mortar outlet.

While 39 per cent of higher price products are still purchased on the high street, it is clear that the popularity of safe shopping online and the convenience of getting items delivered directly has allowed it to take a majority stake in this part of the market.

Analysts also looked at the methods used by consumers to research items prior to purchase, with average users checking out a minimum of two different sources of information, before committing to a sale.

Half of respondents said that they do this research by visiting e-commerce sites operated by retailers, with a similar proportion heading to high street outlets to get firsthand experience of items.

Just six per cent of those questioned said that they took advantage of social media services in order to research items, suggesting that the impact of services like Facebook and Twitter is still relatively small. But this influence is growing and more retailers are trying to use social media platforms to engage with and influence consumers.