66% of UK consumers shop offline then buy online

An emerging phenomenon in UK consumer habits, according to a survey from loyalty marketing analyst GI Insight, shows modern consumers are using shops as showrooms to see and try out products, before deciding whether to buy them online.

According to the report, two in three consumers like to combine offline with online shopping, but when buying bigger items, such as bicycles, garden tools and furniture, 75% prefer to examine them first-hand in a shop. When considering a purchase of fashion items, like clothes, shoes or accessories, 69% would rather try them on in-store. The percentage falls to 60% when it comes to buying DVD players, computers and TVs.

However, with smaller and more ordinary products, such as CDs, DVDs, kitchen utensils and light bulbs, well over two-thirds of consumers buy directly online, as expected.

The researchers comment that consumers are happy to use various channels when they make their purchasing decisions. The report finds the logic behind shoppers’ behaviour online and offline. Understanding this logic might be beneficial for brands, as it enables them to create specific, narrow-targeted strategies to boost customers’ loyalty, increase the amount of money spent on one transaction and encourage clients to buy more often.