Consumers worldwide prefer searching online over in-store for electronics, clothes, and other select categories

Key stat: Consumers worldwide prefer searching for non-food retail products online than in-store, according to November 2023 data from Auctane and Retail Economics. Electronic devices are the most likely to be searched digitally, with 72% of consumers almost always or mainly searching them online.

Beyond the chart:

• When it comes to purchasing, consumers also buy electronics (55%), clothing (54%), and toys, books, and games (52%) always or mainly online, the same report found.
• While consumers are more likely to search for products online, the store plays a larger role in purchasing.
• 56% of consumers worldwide search for product information through a search engine like Google, while 43% search on an online marketplace such as Amazon, per Auctane and Retail Economics.

Use this chart:

• Demonstrate the need for strong digital product listings.
• Emphasize the importance of an omnichannel strategy.

More like this:

• Gen Z shoppers prefer to start their product searches on Amazon over TikTok
• Marketplaces lose share in places where US shoppers start their shopping journeys
• Marketplaces lose share in places where US shoppers start their shopping journeys
• Retail stores still dominate ecommerce when it comes to new product discovery and conversion

Methodology: Data is from the February 2024 Auctane and Retail Economics report titled "Online shipping scenario 2024: Navigating the modern buyer's journey and its complexity." 8,000 adults ages 18+ in 8 countries were surveyed online during November 2023. The respondents were from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US. Additionally, 800 online sellers in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK were surveyed during the same period.