New Zealand comparison shopping website, PriceMe has released results from its 2013 user survey, revealing some surprising insights into the shopping habits of New Zealand consumers.
The report compiles survey responses from over 300 PriceMe users, of which 47 percent were male and 57 percent were female.
Surprisingly, only 50 percent of shoppers said that price was the most important thing when considering an online purchase. Of the rest, 30 percent of respondents said that purchasing from a reputable brand was more important, while 20 percent said that purchasing from a reputable retailer was important.
Other Interesting Trends
Daily Deals on the Way Down – Group buying sites appear to have lost favour in NZ, just as they appear to have slipped in Australia. In 2011, 63 percent of kiwi shoppers said they regularly used daily deals sites, while this has declined year-on-year to 54 percent this year.
Smartphone Ownership Rockets – The number of people who own and use a smartphone for online purchases has doubled in the past two years, jumping from 29 percent in 2011 to 66 percent now. Meanwhile tablet ownership is also accelerating, from 10 percent in 2011 to 45 percent this year.
Social Shopping – 43 percent of respondents say they regularly post product reviews or comments regarding their shopping experiences via social media, with 61 percent having been influenced to purchase something based on what they’ve seen on a social network.
Marketing Director of PriceMe, Chris Palmer says the 2013 survey results confirm that online shopping is continuing to evolve rapidly in New Zealand.
“Commerce conducted on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets has reached a critical mass, and retailers need to respond accordingly,” Palmer says. “It’s still surprising how many well-known brands have still not developed responsive-design versions of their websites that are optimised for various devices and screen sizes. This is critical if they want to capture their share of business from nearly half the online community who shop using their smartphone or a tablet.
“The survey results also confirm that online shopping is becoming increasingly social, with shoppers freely sharing their experiences with others, and looking for reviews and ratings on products and retailers more and more before committing to a purchase. Retailers that have been using social media platforms to communicate, share their product or promotional information and listen to their customers needs, have a significant advantage over those retailers who aren’t active in this space.”
The survey results are released at a time when New Zealand retail businesses are currently facing very similar issues as their Australian counterparts. Lowering the GST threshold on offshore purchases is the hot topic of the day, and no doubt local business owners will be watching New Zealand closely to see how they deal with the issue.
Source: Power Retail Website