The lure of online purchasing

With this year’s lockdowns, consumers found themselves turning to online purchasing in recent months, but they haven’t been buying with their eyes shut.

Before going to the checkout with their virtual shopping cart, consumers look for certain guarantees, including free samples, virtual try-on tools and personalised recommendations, as a new report by e-commerce platform Nosto showcases.

This survey was conducted among 2 000 British and American consumers aged between 16 and 35.

The report shows that 44% of respondents bought more beauty and skincare products online than in store over the past six months, compared to the pre-lockdown period.

However, 56% of total consumers (62% of female respondents) acknowledged turning to familiar products and brands when buying online.

Consumers look for more guarantee and advice before committing to an online purchase, which makes the e-commerce shopping experience totally different from the in-store experience.

When physical stores closed due to pandemic restrictions, brands and retailers had to be even more inventive, to make their e-shops more attractive and allow consumers to shop with confidence.

The report shows that a vast majority of consumers (74%) are more likely to buy online when the website includes customer reviews, which is often the case.

There are other factors that can convince internet users to click buy, some of which may be surprising.

Receiving free samples of the product before purchasing it motivates 72% of respondents; 66% of those surveyed are likely to buy if the site personalises product recommendations based on client’s searche.

The use of virtual reality or artificial intelligence tools that let shoppers “try-on” a product also encourages 45% of users surveyed.

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