British shoppers retain penchant for offline shopping
The touchy-feely aspect of shopping in a physical store continues to be a major reason why fewer than half (41%) of consumers in the UK are totally content with shopping online.
The need to see an object, in the flesh, before making a purchase decision was cited by 30% as the reason they prefer to shop in a store. The remainder of the top five reasons behind the preference for offline shopping are:
– 21% dislike the hassle of having to return an item at the Post Office;
– 21% are put off by the lack of product information online;
– 19% harbor concerns about the security of their personal information and payment details online;
– 18% prefer the social aspect of shopping in a store.
Even those who already shop online regularly have some items they refuse to purchase online. One in five of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed said they have never bought clothing online and one in eight say they never will. Another 43% have never bought groceries online and 25% say they never will.
“The high street experience is still hugely important and online shoppers still use it as part of the shopping process,” says Marina McKeever, senior sales director at Vouchercodes.co.uk. “Brands who want to be truly successful will need to adapt their strategies to become more multichannel, encouraging consumers to interact with brands through a range of channels, regardless of where they end up transacting.”
