Increase in Number of "Multi-channel Hyper-shoppers" Found by New Survey According to new data from the 2003 American Interactive Consumer Survey conducted by The Dieringer Research
Group, the Internet continues to show multiple signs of maturing into an essential product information and shopping channel, based on 2,000 telephone interviews with consumers completed in May.
For example, nearly half of all American adults say they looked for product information online in the past year, totaling more than 103 million shoppers. Of these, nearly three out of four used search
engines to find products.
The study finds that when it comes to actually making purchases, the Internet still lags behind traditional mail order, with only 32% of Americans having purchased
directly online, versus 38% who made purchases from mail order catalogs the past year. However, the average number of online transactions per year of online purchasers is three times the average
number of transactions per year made by mail order shoppers, thus increasing the overall value of the online purchasers.
Overall, the number of hyper-shoppers now totals 23 million Americans who
spend $500 or more both online and offline after first seeking product/service information online-up 50% from 2002.
Hyper-shoppers are predominantly male, college-educated and married. Most work
for smaller businesses. Use of high speed broadband access from home is popular among hyper-shoppers, 44% of whom say they go online via cable modem or DSL services from their phone companies.
Hyper-shoppers rate Web sites as their most valuable way of obtaining product information. Half say the Internet allows them to find better prices and one out of five say it allows them to spend more
time with their families. Nearly two-thirds of all hyper-shoppers say the value of the Internet to their purchase decision-making increased in the past 12 months.
Information Seeking
Behaviors of American Hyper-Shoppers*
| Retail |
| Seek
product information online | 100% |
| Purchase online | 100% |
| Purchase via mail order
catalogs | 56% |
| Purchase after receiving direct mail flyers | 17% |
| Purchase in
response to telemarketing call | 7% |
| Personal Finance Products and Services** |
| Visit branch offices/agents | 42% |
| Direct mail flyers/brochures | 31% |
| Web sites | 51% |
* Purchase at least $500/year both online and offline after seeking online information
** Financial service data
shown as percent of adults who opened new accounts in the past 12 months
Source: 2003 American Interactive Consumer Survey, The Dieringer Research Group
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