Commentary

Target My Behavior, Please

How much does the average consumer spend online in three months, and what's the behavior that leads them to the purchase? Of course, it differs per category, but the data suggests behavioral changes, such as an increase in impulse buys, should keep marketers on their toes. The biggest challenge with impulse buys becomes returns.

In fact, impulse purchases are significant, with more than 40% of shoppers admitting they purchased more than just their intended item, according to a whitepaper from HookLogic and Market Tree, "Browsing & Buying Behavior By Category 2015." The paper analyzed more than 14 million online transactions representing more than $1 billion in sales for the month of June, 2015 across the HookLogic network, which serves ads on retailers' Web sites. The paper also included the results of a study in May, 2015 that surveyed 600 consumers who had shopped online within the past three months of participating in the study, examining overall browsing and shopping behavior in the categories of clothing, health & beauty, electronics, baby care, home goods, and groceries.

advertisement

advertisement

Overall, only 21% of shoppers visit one site, while 46% visit three or more sites. Some 63% typically have a specific type of product in mind when they shop online, and search for it during the shopping process. This number sits at 47% for those shopping for home goods, however, a category where there’s more flexibility and a desire for inspiration to find the right item to suit their space. Home goods shoppers also use their shopping cart more as a short list of final decisions, with 29% putting products in the shopping cart without buying them right away.

Across all online purchases, consumers report they spent an average of $493 in the past three months. Grocery and electronics shoppers often focus more on the products for which they search, much more than other category shoppers. Consumers who purchase groceries online are also some of the most comfortable shopping online. Those purchasing clothing are less decisive, with 20% reporting indecision, which seems to be consistent with previous HookLogic data. Consumers who purchased clothing spent the least overall, at $575, while those purchasing baby-care items spent significantly more at nearly $800, though they tend to look around more, hopping from Web site to Web site.

Households with children spend much more, at an average of $566 during the past three months, vs. households without children spending $452.

Mobile use in-store continues to grow, with 78% of consumers who use their phones in-store doing so to check prices, another opportunity to provide more information about a product.

 

 

 

 

Next story loading loading..