Social media has a huge and growing influence on shopping habits, choices and decisions, according to Royal Mail’s UK Delivery Matters 2019 report.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of shoppers have bought items after seeing posts or comments on social channels. Nearly half (45%) of 18-34 year olds have bought an item after viewing a post or comment from a friend, blogger or celebrity and 30% of 25-34 year olds would like to be able to shop directly on social media media.
Consumers continue to look online for ‘the best deals and prices’, the report reveals, with shoppers preferring to browse online rather than in-store for ease of being able to compare prices (54%), range of choice (51%), ease of searching (46%) and comfort (44%).
ONLINE
In three months, the average UK shopper made an online purchase just over six times, spending, on average, £226 over the period. On average, shoppers spend £38 on each online transaction they make, up from £34 last year.
When shopping online, laptops (50%) are still the device most commonly used, but more and more shopping is being done on mobile devices – with 43% of shoppers claiming to have made a purchase via a smartphone, which is up from 39% last year.
The location where online buyers choose to shop has evolved. For most (97%), home is still the primary place to ‘peruse and purchase’ but shopping while travelling or commuting is also popular (42%) as is shopping at work (42%).
LUNCHTIME
Preferred timings show a bias towards later online shopping. Three-quarters (75%) make purchases online in the evening, followed by 65% in the afternoon and 52% at lunchtime.
“Over the last few years, social media has had an increasing impact on the way UK consumers shop,” said a spokesman for Royal Mail.
“When browsing social media, UK shoppers are making purchases after seeing posts and this, accompanied by the rise in mobile shopping, is driving more change in shopping habits.
“The delivery and occasional return of these items is now a core part of the customer experience, so retailers should choose a delivery provider they can trust and one which offers their customers both mobile friendly channels and convenient local access points.”
