30% YoY Rise in UK Shoppers Leaving Social Comments

Most of us, marketing folk, will have got used to the idea that consumer habits are diversifying and evolving by now. As proof of this fact, new research from consultancy firm Deloitte highlights the importance of various channels for shaping an opinion and defining purchasing intent.

The study polled more than 2,700 shoppers and revealed that the majority own a mobile device and are happy use it. About one-third use mobile devices to view details about products they are interested in, by scanning their barcodes while they are in-store.

According to Mark Lee-Amies at Deloitte, while not many retailers offer this functionality at present, more are expected to introduce it, in order to take advantage of shoppers’ willingness to combine sources of information.

The research also shows that a quarter of those polled appreciated the chance to get coupons directly from their phone, while one in six say they read product reviews on their phones. A similar proportion have already bought items via a mobile device in the course of the past 12 months.

Nearly a third of UK shoppers have posted positive reviews about a product or a service on a social platform or a blog, which marks a 30% annual increase. Surprisingly, this metric reaches 70% for more senior consumers, aged 55 and over.

Approximately two in three shoppers have discovered a new product as a direct result of online recommendations, while 68% have been discouraged from buying an item by negative comments read online. Almost three quarters of respondents agree that reviews on the Internet are a key factor in making a purchasing decision.