Online sales show significant growth
More than half (55%) of online shoppers worldwide now shop online because they get better deals than in-store. At the same time, more and more people are shopping via tablets and mobile devices. The findings come from a study by PwC titled: “Achieving the Ultimate Retail: Consumer Expectations Are Shaping the New Retail Business Model.”.
The survey, conducted among more than 15,000 online shoppers from 15 countries, presents a unified picture worldwide, with online shopping becoming more and more popular every day. It should be noted that the Chinese are the most enthusiastic online consumers, as one in two buys products via mobile phone or tablet.
The survey found that consumers are shopping from fewer and fewer retail brands. For example, when asked to indicate the number of businesses they had shopped from in the past 12 months, from a list of 30 well-known retailers in their country, 15% of respondents said they shopped from just one supplier, double the number in 2012.
The findings also highlight the important role of social media in consumer education, for both retailers and manufacturers. 59% of respondents follow their favorite brands or retailers on social media. The same number of respondents said they have discovered and subsequently loved a brand through social media in the past, demonstrating the great importance of communication between retailers and consumers through social media.
Social media gives consumers the opportunity to reach out to companies directly and publicly express their opinions. More than one in two online shoppers worldwide said they have made positive comments on social media when they had a good experience with a product or brand.
Social media is now becoming the “new storefront.” Almost half (48%) of respondents reported that they have purchased products through social media, compared to just one in ten (10%) a year ago.
Source: protothema.gr
