Mums in the UK are turning their backs on the high street in favour of online shopping, according to research by flash sales website Casabu in association with Mumsnet. More than 80% of mums said they shop online for their children and themselves at least once or twice a month – and they are using smartphones, tablet computers and even work PCs for access.
Over half of the 1000 mums that were surveyed said they always compare prices when online shopping, and almost 90% said they like to “feel like they are getting a bargain” when they buy.
Price is a big factor, with mums looking to keep their spend on children’s jeans and T-shirts to the absolute minimum. Some 98% said they would spend less than £20 on a children’s t-shirt while 94% would pay no more than £20 on jeans.
Even on their children’s birthday presents, mums are looking to keep costs down, with 69% saying they would spend less than £50 and 46% less than £40.
A quarter of those surveyed said they had spent between £100 and £200 on items such as clothes, toys and books for their children during the past month, while a further 32% had spent between £50 and £99.
Rachel Oxburgh, CEO of Casabu, said: “This research confirms that mums are looking for deals on brands and that they will make use of the full range of technology.”
“Mums still want to dress their children and themselves in quality brands, but economic necessity means they want to find great deals.
“For example, rather than spending £50 on a pair of designer jeans for their daughter almost half of mums surveyed are looking to spend less than £10.”
Social networking sites for mums such as Mumsnet can be a good source of information for eretailers looking to understand target this demographic. In April a thread on the site criticised Mothercare and attracted hundreds of comments in a matter of hours from mums setting out what puts them off buying from company – including complaints about unhelpful staff, a lack of in-store stock, and high prices. By tuning in to such threads, retailers can find out what works for their potential customers – and adapt accordingly.
