A recent study by Nielsen has shown that the number of internet shoppers is up 40% in two years, with clothes and shoes being the fastest growers, and most opting to pay with Visa.
More than 85 percent of the world’s online population has used the Internet to make a purchase—increasing the market for online shopping by 40 percent in the past two years—according to the latest Nielsen Global Online Survey on Internet shopping habits. Globally, more than half of Internet users have made at least one purchase online in the past month, according to Nielsen.
“The Internet is no longer a niche technology—it is mass media and an utterly integral part of modern life. Almost no aspect of life remains untouched by online media. As our lives become more fractured and cluttered, it isn’t surprising that consumers turn to the unrivalled convenience of the Internet when it comes to researching and buying products,” said Jonathan Carson, President, International, Nielsen Online.
“When The Nielsen Company conducted its first global survey into Internet shopping trends two years ago, approximately 10 percent of the world’s population (627 million) had shopped online,” said Bruce Paul, VP, Customized Research, Nielsen U.S. “Within two years, this number has increased by approximately 40 percent (to 875 million).”
More than 70 percent of Indians and more than 60 percent of Irish and UAE Internet users said they bought airline tickets/reservations on the Internet in the last three months, making travel the fourth most popular shopping category on the web.
According to Nielsen, online shoppers tend to stick to the shopping sites they are familiar with, with 60 percent saying they buy mostly from the same site. “This shows the importance of capturing the tens of millions of new online shoppers as they make their first purchases on the Internet. If shopping sites can capture them early, and create a positive shopping experience, they will likely capture their loyalty and their money,” said Paul.
In selecting sites on which to shop, one-third used a search engine or just surfed around to find the best online store. One in four relied on personal recommendations.
“Recommendations from fellow consumers — whether they are people they know or fellow online shoppers — play an enormous role in the decision-making process. The explosion in Consumer Generated Media over the last year means that this reliance on word of mouth, over other forms of referral, looks set to increase,” said Carson.
(The full Nielson report can be viewed on their website – click here for direct link].