Consumer loyalty slipping due to internet research

13/06/2008

A study by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) has found that consumers are using multiple channels to shop, researching online before buying in-store.

The research also shows that consumers who use multiple channels are more likely to shop with different vendors than those who don't.

ORC vice president Jull Glathar says the reason for this could be down to customers being more price-wise.

"Multi-channel customers are often the most astute about pricing, and as such, may not be the most loyal," she said.

Marketing research site eMarketer predicts that web-influenced store sales could grow at around 19 per cent per year over the next four years, compared to an ecommerce growth of 12 per cent in the same timeframe.

It says at the moment, for every £1 spent in online sales, £3.95 is spent in stores after online research. If its predictions are correct, then by 2012, this ratio could change to £1 to £4.68