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UK consumers avoiding online electronics purchases

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 - 09:33 by Mike Price

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A study suggests that UK consumers are unwilling to commit to buying large, expensive electronics such as TVs online.

Instead they are choosing to search for the products they want to buy on the internet, carry out a little research about the price and performance and then head to a high street outlet to seal the deal rather than using an online retailer.

Sixty three per cent of those questioned in a recent report by the NPD Group, said that they would research electronic devices online and then use this knowledge to find the best deal at bricks and mortar stores.

This level is a little lower for TV buyers, although it still accounts for more than half of all consumers who want to purchase electronics.

NPD's Stephen Baker explained that consumers are hesitant to buy large products via safe shopping online because they have a deficit of awareness about the facts of e-commerce.

The study suggests that there is still a large proportion of the British public that does not want to part with their cash online, perhaps because they do not perceive it as particularly secure when dealing with large sums of money.

When it comes to consumer electronics, it could be that they are interested in seeing the device in person before they buy it. But many experts advise that you head to your local megastore to check out the performance of a TV or Hi-fi and then use the web to find the best price, getting the best of both worlds.

What this research also reaffirms is the idea that multichannel retailers will get the benefits of a divided customer base to a greater degree than online or high street-only firms. If a consumer can research a product on your website and then buy it in your store, you have them coming and going.>