A growing body of market research shows the rising impact of Internet research on store spending. Many consumers prefer to shop for high-touch and expensive products in stores where they can feel items and talk in person with a sales associate.
A survey of what Internet users worldwide ages 16 to 54 research reveals several pricey items at the top of the list. Besides travel, more than one-half of respondents researched consumer electronics—and subsets such as digital music players and mobile phones—according to data released in September 2008 by Universal McCann.
Consumers have researched electronics online for years. In October 2007, STORES magazine published results of a study of online shoppers in the US conducted by
BIGresearch and sponsored by Microsoft. Respondents named electronics at the top of the list of products they researched online before purchasing in a store.
The impact of online product research is greater on store sales than Web sales. In 2008, Web-influenced store sales will reach $625.2 billion, eMarketer forecasts. From 2007 to 2012, online-influenced store sales are expected to grow at a 19% average annual rate. By 2012, every $1 of online sales will equal about $4.68 in store sales influenced by the Internet.
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