Online Research Drives Offline Sales, Find Forrester
Online product research by consumers is a key factor in their offline purchasing decisions, according to a report from Forrester Research.
The majority (86%) of Europe’s online population uses the internet to research products prior to purchase, but less than half of them (42%) stay online to make a transaction. Forrester concludes that the influence of the Net on offline sales is greater than its influence on online sales.
Half of all Europeans buy products offline after having researched them online, whilst only 42% buy via the web. This trend is most evident in southern European countries like Italy and Spain, where Net-influenced offline purchases are twice as frequent as online purchases.
The UK leads the way in terms internet shopping, with 62% of the online population having bought goods or services via the web. This is considerably higher than the European average of 42%.
| European Internet Usage Patterns | ||||||
| Online | Research Online* | Shop Online* | ||||
| Q2 2002 | Q2 2003 | Q2 2002 | Q2 2003 | Q2 2002 | Q2 2003 | |
| Sweden | 71% | 73% | 87% | 93% | 40% | 48% |
| Netherlands | 63% | 71% | 81% | 94% | 31% | 40% |
| Germany | 53% | 55% | 82% | 90% | 48% | 55% |
| UK | 55% | 57% | 85% | 89% | 54% | 62% |
| Italy | 42% | 45% | 67% | 76% | 14% | 17% |
| France | 35% | 40% | 71% | 82% | 27% | 33% |
| Spain | 24% | 28% | 78% | 89% | 15% | 16% |
| Europe | 46% | 49% | 78% | 86% | 37% | 42% |
| Source: Forrester Research, January 2004 | ||||||
