• by Anya Khait , April 10, 2001

Despite widespread talk of setbacks in the dot-com revolution, the Web is surprisingly successful at convincing users to part with their money, according to a new Internet study released today. The online research, conducted for the Unilever Interactive Brand Center by Cyber Dialogue, found that about three-quarters of men and women say they will make purchases online if they browse for items there in the first place.

E-shoppers in general seem to enjoy shopping; they logged onto the Web an average of 63 times this past year to either browse or make product purchases. In addition, more than one in four shoppers (28%) say the Internet makes them shop more often, while one in three women (33%) say they usually exceed their shopping budget online.

The report identifies four prototypical online shoppers: the Bargain Hunter, the Destination Shopper, the Avid Shopper and the Impulse Shopper. The study finds that most shoppers, no matter which group they fall into, make purchases about one-third of the time they go shopping online. Yet not all online shoppers shop equally. Those who shop online most often tend to make more purchases than other shoppers. As a result, certain online shoppers are more apt to buy than others.

According to the study, which looks primarily at women, two of the four shopper types - Bargain Hunters and Impulse Shoppers - are "born to shop" and could be the most valuable segments for the widest variety of shopping sites. Impulse Shoppers are the smallest group, but the most frequent shoppers. They browsed an average of 92 times in 2000 and made purchases on 32 of those occasions.

Bargain Hunters are also frequent online shoppers, having browsed an average of 89 times last year, and/or made purchases on about 30 of those occasions. Both Bargain and Impulse Shoppers are promotion-sensitive; more than 60% of both types of shoppers are drawn to sites after hearing commercials or advertising.

Avid Shoppers said they love to shop, but did less shopping than others. They browsed an average of 59 times last year, and made purchases 21 times. Destination Shoppers, who shop when they "know what I want and where to get it," browse and buy far less often - they browsed 27 times last year and made purchases on 10 occasions.

The study also found that the Internet has made e-shoppers more price-sensitive than ever and has motivated them to do more research prior to purchasing. Brands are a strong influencing factor (90% of men say brands are "important" when shopping online, compared to 82% of women.

The study also found that the Internet is transforming America into a nation of nocturnal shoppers. Results indicate that nearly half of Web users (46% of women and 47% of men) say they've become late-night shoppers, using the Internet as "the mall that never closes."

While many shop late at night, there is a reverse trend of "sneak shopping" taking place during work hours, particularly among men. Nearly one in three men and one in five women "sneak shop" while on the job, thus earning money while simultaneously spending it.

"The survey suggests that the Internet is giving late-night TV serious competition for the attention of millions of shoppers," added Olney of the IBC.

According to the report, active Web users have a strong preference for shopping online. Two-thirds of online shoppers say that purchasing products online is easier than it is offline. One-third of e-shoppers say customer service on the Internet is superior to its offline counterpart, and a majority of e-shoppers (77%) say that product or service information is more helpful online than in stores. E-shoppers report that online shelves tend to be better stocked, and personal shopping assistants pop up when needed - a service preferred by more men than women.

- Anya Khait may be reached at anya@mediapost.com