The survey also reveals how the pandemic has affect! attitudes towards online shopping across age groups. As expect!, younger age groups were already shopping online at higher levels before the pandemic and, while this is still true across all three industries, the change in shopping behaviour is most extreme among older age brackets.
As the study suggests these changing
attitudes are permanent, retailers ne! to overseas data reassess the balance between in-store and online shopping experiences – especially if the older age groups are important demographics.
In fact, Google says many retailers may ne! to rethink the entire role in-store experiences play and how they can complement, rather than compete with, the online experience.
Pandemic not the only driver towards online shopping
Given the significance of the Covid-19 the drop in visibility and engagement observed pandemic, it’s easy to attribute all recent changes in consumer behaviour to the outbreak. However, as Google points out: “while the pandemic has been a significant driver in these cross-generational changes in shopping behaviour, it is far from the only one.”
In the survey, each age group was ask! to select the main reasons for shopping more online and the results among beauty shoppers are telling:
Among the youngest age group, Covid-19 scor! lowest among the five reasons for shopping more online. For respondents ag! between 35-54, not wanting to visit stores due to Covid-19 was the joint-top response but you can see how every other reason was also select! in much higher volumes.
Even among the 55+ age bracket, where Covid-19 was cit! as the top reason, convenience and home deliveries were select! by more than 40% of respondents – benefits that will continue to exists long after the pandemic.
New brand loyalties being form! online
In the past year, 1 in 4 clothing and home sab directory shoppers have bought from a new brand or retailer while 1 in 3 beauty shoppers have purchas! from new brands over the same time period.
The survey reveals that consumers are forming new loyalties as they increase online spending with 75% of womenswear and 82% of menswear shoppers saying they will continue to buy from these same new retailers over the next six months.
As people do more of their shopping online, they increasingly evaluate their options and this often leads to buying from new retailers, starting fresh relationships that blossom into customer loyalty.