Almost half of Christmas shoppers say they’ll mostly buy online this year, a new study suggests.
Some 45% of shoppers favour researching and buying their gifts online, according to research from programmatic marketing technology specialists RadiumOne.
It questioned 1,000 people aged 16 and over in a survey run by research agency Mindmover, and found that online buying and research was the most popular option for 58% of buyers aged between 45 and 54 in particular. In contrast, only 13% of all those questioned said they’d prefer to research and shop in-store. That’s most likely to be the case for shoppers aged 55 or older, where 23% prefer to visit shops.
Two in five people were undecided on whether they’d be doing their shopping in stores or on the high streets. The deciding factor for them will come down to deals (68%), convenience (62%) and time (45%).
Those buying online said they wouldn’t just be using one internet device to buy their gifts. Some 24% said they’d use at least two, with respondents aged between 16 to 24 being the most likely to agree with this statement, at 44% of those questioned.
“Christmas is, by far, the biggest sharing event of the year and it’s fascinating to see how influential technology now is, with its multiple devices, in the whole of the Christmas decision-making process,” said Rupert Staines, RadiumOne’s European managing director. “With the UK population being the most sophisticated e-shoppers in the world, it’s absolutely critical for brands and retailers to better understand these consumer connections and their fast-evolving relationship with technology to ensure their advertising delivers the ideal Christmas sales boost.”
