Online Shopping and Shop Online

10
ONLINE SHOPPING

10.1 O v e r v i e w
According to eMarketer (www.emarketer.com), the number of U.S. consumers shopping online has been, and is projected, as follows:
Number

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

2009:
2010:
2011:
2012:
2013:
2014:
2015:

163.1 million
172.3 million
178.5 million
184.3 million
189.6 million
195.4 million
201.1 million

Pet. of Internet Users

85.0%
87.1%
87.5%
88.1%
88.7%
89.4%
90.1%

Sixty-percent (60%) of U.S. adults shop online at lease once every three months, according to Forrester Research (www.forrester.com). The percentages by age are as follows: • 18-to-30:
54%
• 31-to-44:
68%
• 45-to-54:
64%
• 55-to-65:
60%
• 66 and older:
48%
According to A.T. Kearney (www.atkearney.com), among those who shopped online in 2012, purchases were made online for the following product categories
(percentage of respondents):
• Books:
81%
• Apparel:
74%
• Music/video/movies:
65%
• Beauty and personal care:
59%
• Footwear:
54%
• Consumer electronics:
52%
• Services (e.g., spas, salons):
34%
• Jewelry:
24%
• Furniture:
18%
• Household products:
16%
• Other:
18%

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 2014

• 68 •

10.2 Whv People Shop Online
A recent poll of Internet users by The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com) asking primary reasons for shopping online found the following:
• Able to shop 24 hours a day:
81%
• Saves time:
76%
• Able to comparison shop:
61%
• Easy to find what I am looking for:
56%
• Selection of items:
49%
• Can search by brands I like:
46%
• Available product information:
46%
• Low prices:
45%
• Items are in stock:
35%
• Low shipping costs:
24%
• Recommendations for items:
15%
• Customer service and communication:
12%
• Easy to return purchases:
11 %
• Gift services such as cards, wrapping, or birthday/holiday reminders:
10%
A survey by Impulse Research (www.impulseresearch.com) found the primary reasons that Millennial adults, ages 18-to-34, shop online are as follows:
• Better prices:
37%
• Avoid shopping hassles and crowds:
29%
• Convenience:
18%
• Better selection:
13%
• Direct shipping to home:
3%
A survey by Accenture (www.accenture.com) found parents with children in school liked to shop online for the following reasons (percentage of respondents):
• Save money/find discounts:
70%
• To research products and prices:
63%
• Avoid going to many stores:
40%
• Avoid boring trips for kids:
28%
• Avoid kid pressure to buy items:
17%
• School works with e-retailers to ensure supplies are in stock:
7%

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 2014

• 69 •

"Price and convenience lead many parents to shop online for back-to-school items. Web shoppers like not having to schlep from store to store, dragging kids with them."
Accenture, 7/12

10.3 Characteristics Of Online Shopping
When asked how they typically find what they're shopping for online, responses were as follows (source: Nielsen; multiple responses allowed):
• Know the site by name:
69%
• Search engines:
62%
• Comparison shopping tools:
23%
• Subscribe to an e-newsletter from retailers:
15%
Blogs/chat rooms/consumer reviews:
5%
In its May 2013 Monthly E-Commerce Research Initiative, Shopzilla
(www.shopzilla.com) asked U.S. adults how they first saw the product they most recently purchased online. Responses were as follows:
• While surfing online:
29%
Looking for something specific:
24%
• In email from store:
11%
• While "out and about":
8%
• In friend's house:
8%
• In a magazine:
7%
• In an ad:
6%
• On blog or other website content:
4%
• On Facebook:
2%
• On Pinterest: