3/1/2013
More than half of U.S. online shoppers (52%) and 35% of online shoppers worldwide have bought products directly from manufacturers’ or brands’ websites, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC). Lower prices and access to more product choices are the top reasons for buying directly from the manufacturer rather than from an online or in-store retailer.
Shopping from a store’s website does not cannibalize shopping at its physical locations. More than half of U.S. shoppers (56%) say they’ve been shopping more often in-store since they began shopping at the retailer through multiple channels (online, mobile, in-store). Most consumers tend to shop just a few retailers through multiple channels, however.
Although low prices and convenience are the strongest reasons consumers worldwide choose to shop online, U.S. consumers are more likely than those in other regions to cite home delivery as a motivating factor. Just over one in 10 online U.S. consumers (13%) rarely or never shop online.
Showrooming is an increasing concern among retailers, but in certain categories online shopping actually drives in-store purchases. For example, consumer electronics shoppers worldwide are more likely to research products online and then buy them in-store (23%) than they are to research them in-store and then buy them online (2%).
Use of social media for shopping-related activities rose significantly between 2011 and 2012. Almost six in 10 online consumers worldwide (59%) followed brands on social media in 2012, up from 49% in 2011. More than a quarter (27%) discovered new brands via social media in 2012, up from 17% in 2011.
Although purchasing directly through social media is still a minority activity, it’s growing fast. More than one in 10 online consumers (12%) had done so as of 2012, up from 5% in 2011.
Among U.S. online shoppers who made purchases in fourth-quarter 2012, those who arrived at retail websites via online searches placed higher-value orders than those who were referred by email or social media, according to Monetate. Those shopping via smartphone spent more per order than those shopping via tablet or PC.
Eight in 10 consumers (80%) who visited retail websites in fourth-quarter 2012 did so via PC, however. Similar proportions of shoppers accessed websites via smartphone (11%) or tablet (10%) during this time.
Shoppers who visited retail sites via PC or tablet were most likely to make a purchase (5% of PC visitors and 4% of tablet visitors did so). Shoppers who were referred to websites via email (5%) and online search (4%) were significantly more likely than those referred by social media (1%) to make purchases. Some 11% of U.S. online shoppers (via any device) added something to their shopping carts, whether or not they went through with the transaction.
Sources: “Demystifying the Online Shopper: 10 Myths of Multichannel Retailing,” January 2013, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), John Maxwell, Global R&C Leader, 400 Campus Dr., Florham Park, NJ 07932; 973-236-4780; john.g.maxwell@ us.pwc.com; www.pwc.com/multichannelsurvey. Price: Available online at no charge.
“Ecommerce Quarterly, Q4 2012,” Monetate, Marifran Manzo-Ritchie, Director of Corporate Communications, 951 E. Hector St., Conshohocken, PA 19422; 215-987-4441; mmanzoritchie@monetate.com; www.monetate.com. Price: Available online at no charge.
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