Online video has changed UK shopping habits, finds research
December 6th, 2011
The shopping habits of UK consumers have been changed by technology, according to new research by KPMG.
The global audit, tax and advisory firm's recent survey of global shopping habits revealed that a rise in the use of smartphones and in online shopping and online video had led to a marked change in how people shopped.
The research – which took into account the opinions of 9,600 consumers aged between 16 and 65, across 31 countries – also found that, whilst many other countries are changing their shopping habits as a result of the growing uptake of new technologies, the UK is changing at the fastest pace of them all.
The vast majority – seventy-seven per cent – of UK shoppers reported that they now opted to purchase items including books, video games, CDs and DVDs online rather than in shops. This was compared with 65 per cent of shoppers from across the globe.
Most of these shoppers also said that they turn to relatively new technologies, such as social networking pages, online review sites and online video reviews, in a bid to 'try before they buy.' Eighty-eight per cent of both UK and global shoppers also said that they downloaded an app to their mobile in order to help with their shopping.
KPMG's European head of technology, Tudor Aw, told the BBC, “From buying goods on their mobile phones to keeping up with friends on social networks, consumers are increasingly reliant on a range of technologies that perform important – yet often overlapping – tasks.
“This new 'converged lifestyle' will have huge implication for retailers,” Aw added.
The increasing use of such new technologies by shoppers signals massive opportunity for retailers and brands to connect with both existing and prospective customers.
Footwear retailer Dune has recently launched a series of online product videos following a noticeable rise in conversion rates on products that had an online video accompanying them compared to those with no video.
The popular fashion-forward retailer is now to roll out online videos for its entire online shoe range as a result, and plans to extend the video offerings to accessories within the near future.
Head of e-commerce at Dune, Rob Bostock, told Fashion United, “Replicating this in-store ‘catwalk’ online is helping us to engage with our customers and give them confidence in what they’re buying. The business case to rollout site-wide is clear – video has a significant impact on conversion.”