What Are Consumers Buying Online? New Survey Says: EVERYTHING!

DENVER (November 7, 2017)—Adtaxi, one of the nation’s fastest growing digital marketing agencies, released the results of its inaugural State of Ecommerce in America survey, an in-depth look at ecommerce trends and consumer preferences nationwide. From small inexpensive household items to mega, high-priced purchases such as automobiles, the scope and willingness of consumers to make purchases online has proven to be powerfully pervasive.

The survey reveals just how often consumers are making purchases online, what they are purchasing and the method in which they are purchasing them.

Key Highlights: 

• A majority of consumers (55%) would be happy to purchase everything online
• Convenience was the number one reason (50%) people shop online
• Seventy-two percent of consumers purchase something online at least once a month
• A third of consumers (32%) would purchase a car online
• Three out of five (59%) consumers purchase clothing online in a typical month
• When shopping for a product online, the most common (46%) first step of the process is visiting an online retailer like Amazon or eBay, whereas only 16% visit the actual brand’s site
• Running out of necessities most commonly (33%) prompts consumers’ online purchases
• Older consumers (60+) are much more concerned with sharing info (27%) than shipping time (4%), whereas the opposite (9% and 22% respectively) is true for younger consumers (18-29)
• Shipping costs are consumers’ least favorite (40%) aspect of shopping online

“These findings show a clear and growing interest from consumers to move away from traditional brick-and-mortar retail models and more toward ecommerce,” said Evan Tennant, National Director of Ecommerce at Adtaxi. “With the digital evolution of retail, consumers are becoming increasingly accustomed to the convenience of shopping from their couch, on the go, or virtually anytime they need things most—and all at the most competitive price—something that was never possible before.”

Webrooming vs. Showrooming

The survey also found that a large majority of consumers factor online shopping into their purchasing decisions—regardless of whether actually making the purchase in store or online.

• Nine out of ten (89%) consumers have gone to a retail store first and then looked for better prices online
• Conversely, nine out of ten (91%) consumers have also done shopping research online before going to a retail store
• A majority (54%) of consumers who do research online first ask the retailer to match the online price

“For marketers and retailers, these findings are extremely noteworthy, demonstrating the dominant role ecommerce plays in the consumer purchase journey – regardless of where they end up completing the purchase,” said Chris Loretto, Executive Vice President of Adtaxi. “This is definitely important for the retailer to consider when they are targeting consumers.”

Methodology

The study was conducted online using Survey Monkey. One thousand participants were polled, spanning across the United States. The demographic of those polled represented a broad range in household income, geographic location, age and gender