UK Christmas shoppers are getting more savvy in the age of internet bargains, with 67% admitting to showrooming (checking prices in store and buying online later), according to the Adobe Digital Index 2015 Holiday Shopping Predictions report.
While that number hasn’t increased from last year, the percentage of consumers who check prices on their mobile devices while in a physical store has risen from 15% last year to 19% this year. And younger buyers are more likely to showroom – 32% of those aged 18-34 report doing so a moderate amount or a great deal. Interestingly, smartphone size also has an impact on showrooming – 30% of those with screens bigger than 5in are also more likely to showroom a moderate amount or a great deal.
The number of UK buyers checking prices in-store and buying online is unsurprising, given that lower prices and good deals remain the biggest drivers of online shopping. 67% of consumers ranked them among their top two reasons for shopping online. Free shipping has risen in importance as a driver of online shopping, too, from 34% last year to 42% this year.
Product reviews are also an important consideration for UK holiday shoppers; on average, 36% of shoppers’ Christmas purchases this year will require them to consult a product review – jumping to 41% for those aged 18-34. And 45% of UK shoppers said that product reviews are among the top 2 influencers when they are considering a major purchase.
The ADI 2015 Holiday Shopping Prediction report is based on analysis of aggregated and anonymous data from the Adobe Marketing Cloud, Adobe Analytics, Adobe Mobile Services, Adobe Media Optimizer, and Adobe Social. The report examined more than 1trn visits to 4,500 retail websites since 2008, with a separate survey of over 400 consumers per country in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Australia, China and Singapore.
