Shop.org: What attracts consumers to a particular online retailer?

While online shoppers still rank price as a significant deciding factor when choosing which online retailer to buy from, a recent NRF and Shop.org study found that other elements also come into play.

by Helen Leggatt

No matter what the gender, age, income or location of an online shopper, it appears that price is the number one persuader to shop at a particular online store. Price, or "sales and price discounts", was quoted by 67% of women and 58% of men in the study of over 4,000 adults over the age of 18, conducted in April this year by BIGresearch.

However, other factors are also taken into consideration by consumers. Shop.org found that after price, shipping offers played a significant role, particularly among women, those earning over $50,000 per annum and older age groups.

In third and fourth place were "everyday low prices" and the assortment of merchandise made available.

"Times may be tough, but it appears that steady, value-based pricing (vs. ongoing, unpredictable sales that may confuse or cause customers to hesitate), as well as an appealing and well-managed merchandise assortment, are critical components in the retailer's competitive arsenal," wrote Shop.org's Head of Research, Fiona Swerdlow.

"Offering an overly pared down (even boring!) assortment - all short term economic benefits thereof aside - appears simply to imperil the retailer's ability to capture sales and customers both in the short and longer term."

Tags: BIGresearch, discounts, merchandise, online consumer, online retail, online retailer, online shopping, price, shipping offers, Shop.org