E-commerce 'impacting on offline shopping decisions'

23/07/2008

Consumers are becoming increasingly influenced by the internet when deciding whether to purchase products in a bricks-and-mortar shop, according to a new report.

Research conducted by Nielsen Online looked at the purchasing habits of consumers shopping for electronics goods and found that four in five of these bought a product from a physical store only after visiting the shop's website.

The study - which may also highlight the importance of good e-commerce web design for retailers - additionally revealed that over half of shoppers made a purchase from the business on whose site they had spend the longest period of time.

Almost six in ten shoppers also stated that they would go to the internet first for product research ahead of visiting the store, consulting reviews in magazines and newspapers and asking friends and family.

"Retailers that are able to facilitate consumers' multi-channel shopping behaviours will enjoy growth in market share across the enterprise," said Nielsen Online's Ken Cassar.

The report follows figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index suggesting that 17p out of every retail pound was spent online during the first six months of 2008.