92.4 pc of Indians feel real pleasure when shopping online: Survey

92.4 per cent of Indians feel real pleasure when shopping online. With 46.5 per cent of 18-34 years old consumers purchasing online at least once a day, finds out a recent study by global marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi,
India, along with Singapore, Hong Kong and China, lead global mobile commerce adoption, putting Asia ahead of the rest of the world in purchases over smartphones, according to the fifth edition of the Connected Commerce study.
The survey of the global retail ecosystem uncovers the emerging trends, behaviour, and expectations of 2016’s connected consumers by studying the behaviour of people shopping online, at every stage of the retail journey. The connected commerce survey was conducted across 15 countries with a sample size of 1,000 web users per country aged 18-64.
Fashion Rules the Roost
Among all the categories, fashion has emerged as the leading category for Indians, with about 93 per cent of shoppers buying it online, followed by 90 per cent of household items and 89 per cent of technology. While, price has remained the main online purchase driver, globally, in all product categories, ahead of choice and comfort, the study revealed.
Out of the total fashion purchases, 36.3 per cent are spontaneous while 76.9 per cent of food purchases online are planned. And out of this total food purchases, 28.2 per cent are made on Wednesdays by women, the survey said, noting that 36.7 per cent are done while watching TV.
The survey further added, that although online purchases are mainly made alone, 55.4 per cent of online purchases in India are not made alone. This happens most often when purchasing home equipment and leisure-travel products.
With e-commerce growing and maturing, customers are also looking at customised services, with 90 per cent of respondents saying that they like to have personalized products and services while shopping online. However, 80.3 per cent don’t want to share their personal details.
Online Presence for Retailers – A Must!
For brands and retailers in India, having an app or website has also become imperative as 36.8 per cent of people first search for product information on a retailers own website or app, said the survey, while noting that only 3.2 per cent of shoppers head to blogs or forums first, to get product information.
Growth in India’s nascent e-tail market is being driven by smartphones. With 66.9 per cent of buyers choosing smart phones as the preferred channel for assistance. Currently, there are over 400 million Internet users in India, of which over 125 million are smartphone users.
The study summaries by saying that the majority of shoppers believe that the quality of
recommendations should be improved – and consumer reviews should be an important part of the online purchase journey.