Consumers are constantly discovering new products, but actually getting them to buy is a different story. Advertisers must ensure product information is accessible everywhere, as consumers use multiple channels for discovery, research, and purchasing products.
Here are five key stats to know about the shopping journey.
Key stat: Most shoppers (69.3%) discover new products at least once a week, according to an EMARKETER and impact.com survey.
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Amazon is the leading place where consumers begin their online shopping journey, per Jungle Scout.
- “While in-store discovery often leads to immediate purchase due to high shopping intent, most shoppers, particularly online browsers, engage with multiple touchpoints before making a final decision,” said EMARKETER analyst Blake Droesch.
Key stat: After discovery, consumers usually research products at least three separate times before deciding to buy, per EMARKETER and impact.com
- 22.8% of customers research products five or more times before buying.
- Consumers are more likely to spend over two weeks researching high price, high-consideration items compared with less expensive or lower-consideration ones.
Key stat: Consumers are most likely to research products via online reviews and listicles (59.9%) or visiting stores (56.7%), per EMARKETER and impact.com.
- 44.3% of consumers research products on search engines, while 38.4% read printed catalogs or mailers. Meanwhile, 31.0% ask friends and family.
- Asking chatbots for information on products is far less common. Only 12.6% of consumers engage in that behavior.
Key stat: Discounts are the top purchase drivers, with 62.3% of consumers citing them as a key consideration, per EMARKETER and impact.com.
- Both younger (18 to 27) and older (60+) consumers prioritize discounts when shopping.
- Lower-income consumers are more likely to prioritize price, while higher-income ones prioritize product quality.
Key stat: Over 3 in 10 shoppers research online, but buy in-store, per EMARKETER and impact.com
- Attribution is particularly difficult for these omnichannel buys, since it can be unclear to advertisers where consumers discovered and learned more about products.
- “If someone discovers a new product through an influencer’s post on TikTok but buys it at a Walmart, it can still be very difficult to attribute that sale to that particular marketing activation,” said Droesch.
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