Mark Elwig is the Head of Merchant Sales & Services at Shopping.com (eBay inc) and could thus offer some interesting insight into the way people spend their time when doing seasonal online shopping. Enjoy.
How does the behaviour of online shoppers change around the festive season (i.e. do we really all go nuts) – and why?
We certainly see a spike in traffic around mid-October as shoppers are eagerly seeking a bargain - even more so in the current recession. The main focus of shoppers in this period centres around electronic products of high ticket value (LCD’s, GPS, MP3 players). During Christmas 2008, we noticed a lot of consumers checking our site on a regular basis for best prices in the run up to Christmas without actually clicking through to the retailer site. This suggests that there was an increase in browsing behaviour and delayed purchasing on high ticket items until after Christmas when January sales start. Shoppers are also more conscious of early Christmas shipping cut off times, which is why we see sales spikes around early November.
Are there any trends you’ve seen emerging over the last few years (in terms of products, behaviour, habits, types of shoppers etc.)? Which are the important ones and which are the strange ones?
There’s been an increase in consumers browsing for longer and holding out for the best prices on top products. In other words, on bargain hunting. Consumers are doing lots more research prior to purchasing, in fact research shows that 70% of consumers look at reviews prior to purchasing. They go to retailer sites and look at product reviews as well as reviews on the retailer. They are not just interested in the product but also the after sales service – reserve online and collect in store is a huge benefit retailers can offer consumers as it shows flexibility.
Flexible return policies are also viewed favourably by consumers. We have also noticed that the older consumer are starting to get more internet savvy, more trusting. Clothing & accessories, home & garden and toys are in the growth category and becoming more popular with online shoppers.
What type of person uses Shopping.com – and have you seen a change over the last few years? Do different people use it around the festive season or do you have all year round loyal users (does the traffic increase over Christmas)?
We operate a network of sites in the UK - Shopping.com and dealtime.co.uk and both have slightly different user profiles.
Shopping.com demographic - Convenience shopper / Look for value alongside convenience / 40% male, 60% female / 30-50 yrs old
Dealtime.co.uk demographic - Value hunters / want to feel they’ve got the best possible deal or price / 49% male, 51% female / 30-50yrs old
We have loyal all year round users but due to our large distributed partner network (we syndicate out feeds), which is growing all the time, we are constantly reaching out to a new audience. Naturally, we see an uplift in traffic over the Christmas season and with more content onsite, we tend to have better natural search rankings during this period so we will be picking up new shoppers as they search for hot products on the search engines.
What is the number one (or top few) query or product types people are interested in over the festive season?
Typically we get a large number of searches for consumer electronic goods such as Nintendo Wii, iPods, iPhones, Sony Bravia Flat Panel TV’s, Panasonic Lumix digital camera, Tom Tom GPS.
Is there something that is more popular during the year and not during the festive season?
Lawn mowers in spring time.
Do you have any advice for people who sell services/products online and want to maximise on the festive season opportunity?
To focus their energy on their top selling products, making sure they have sufficient stock supplies of these products, clearly outline both returns and shipping policies to highlight Christmas cut off times. If they offer an additional ‘Gift Wrapping’ service this is an added value. Competitive and clear pricing is also key (if they offer coupons or vouchers to make sure they are clearly highlighted by the products). Finally for the multichannel retailer – click and reserve is a huge benefit for the shopper. Reserve online and collect at their local store – the shopper also avoids the delivery charges usually associated with larger items and doesn’t need to sit at home all day waiting for a delivery!
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever bought online?
A coconut grater.
How do you see the relationship between online and offline shopping when it comes to consumer behaviour – is there one?
There is definitely a close relationship between the two. A lot of consumers like to touch, feel and see with naked eye products prior to searching online for the best deal. It forms part of the research process. The two should compliment each other.
What one product would never sell online?
A house – need to see it!
What do you wish people would sell online (whether realistic or not :) )?
How about a day in the company of Nelson Mandela!
What effect have comparison shopping sites like Shopping.com had on consumer behaviour?
A tailored shopping experience that helps you find the right product from the right retailer at the right price in one place!
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