Posts Tagged shopping
Survey says 62% shop where they’ve bought before
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
Nielsen Online, studying the holiday mindset of the U.S. online shopper, found that customer reviews are an important research tool for online consumers, with 71 percent agreeing that consumer reviews make them more comfortable that they are buying the right product. 81 percent of online shoppers have read product or retailer reviews by other customers when doing their holiday shopping this year.
Evaluation of this customer feedback found that 63 percent of online shoppers indicated that it was important to have multiple reviews for each product; 14 percent looked for reviews from an established source; and just three percent sought out reviews by people they knew personally.
Ken Cassar, vice president, industry insights, Nielsen Online, said “Consumer reviews are a must-have for online retailers, especially… when shoppers are buying for others in categories they’re less familiar with… consumers are looking for outside feedback for guidance.”
Posted by Tom Polanski in Trend Tracker on January 22nd, 2009
Online shoppers, keep your mouse handy
By Suzanne Choney
Online retailers are offering a mix of specials and sales this holiday season that may leave Web shoppers mixed up as to where, when and how to buy.
More than ever, shoppers need to pay attention to the fine print on the screen, and stay alert for deals that are changing daily and sometimes hourly. There may be great offers available because of the struggling economy, but if you blink — or don’t click — in time, you could miss out.
“I think retailers will be playing the price game sooner than in the past,” said Kurt Peters, editor-in-chief of Internet Retailer, a trade publication.
Indeed, that seems to be the case, despite the fact that Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, are considered the traditional starting points for holiday shopping. Many retailers’ Web sites have been filled with specials for several weeks now.
And, there’s already a fair amount of texting, Twittering and e-mails going on by retailers and shoppers about sales and bargains.
Social networking — be it through sites like Twitter or Facebook — is magnifying the season’s gift-a-thon more than ever before.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Customer Centric on November 17th, 2008