Web 'influences offline purchases'

Category: Ecommerce

July 23rd 08, 08:52

Consumers are likely to make purchases in a physical store only after visiting that outlet's website, new research has suggested.

A survey carried out by Nielsen Online showed that 80 per cent of those who bought an electronics product in a physical shop did so after going to that store's e-commerce portal.

More than half of respondents said they bought a product from the business whose site they had browsed for the longest period of time, with 58 per cent expressing a preference for conducting online research prior to purchases compared with visiting the shop first, looking newspaper and magazine reviews or consulting friends and family.

"Retailers that are able to facilitate consumers' multi-channel shopping behaviours will enjoy growth in market share across the enterprise," commented Ken Cassar, vice president of industry insights at Nielsen Online.

In related e-commerce news, the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index showed that UK consumers spent more than £26.5 billion on internet purchases during the first half of 2008, equivalent to 17p out of every shopping pound.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.

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