Study: Digital influences U.S. consumers
NEW YORK — Consumers in the U.S. are definitely relying on digital tools to aid their shopping activities.
According to a new study of 2,000 consumers in nine countries including the U.S. from Deloitte, “Navigating the New Digital Divide,” 49% of purchases made in the U.S. are digitally influenced, and 28% are influenced by mobile.
However, the likelihood for a purchase to be digitally influenced varies by product category. The most digitally influenced type of purchase is electronics (more than 60%), closely followed by furniture/home furnishings.
More than half of automotive, books/music/entertainment, and baby/toddler purchases are also digitally influenced. At the low end of the spectrum, only about 30% of food/beverage purchases are digitally influenced. However, half of U.S. consumers will still discuss a purchase decision with a store associate.
By age, consumers between 18-30 are by far the most likely to spend more due to digital, with a sharp decline among consumers 30-50. Interestingly, there is a small spike upward for consumers older than 50, peaking at age 70 (but still well below the 18-30 likelihood).
The study also finds that in developed markets (including the U.S.), at least 70% of consumers are now becoming aware of products through means outside of retailer or brand communications, such as social media. This may actually be a positive development for retailers, as U.S. consumers who engage in social media during their shopping journey are 1.29 times more likely to convert to a sale than non-social media users.
Other interesting findings include:
25% of U.S. consumers say they prefer buy-online-pickup-in-store, but only 15% use it.
Digital consumers were 30% less likely to use digital for price comparisons in 2015 than 2014, preferring to use digital technology earlier in the shopping process.