Online shopping is still very popular: about 60 percent of Austrians between the ages of 18 and 65 shop online at least once a month. And 2 in 10 Austrians make at least one purchase per week. This is apparent from a study that Integral carried out on behalf of online marketing agency otago.
In the 50+ generation, only half use the option to order goods and services online. 71 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds already use online shopping. Online shopping is not only a matter of age, but also of gender: two-thirds of men take advantage of this offer, but only 57 percent of women. However, purchasing behavior also depends on the operating system: 26 percent of iOS users (Apple) make weekly online purchases more often than Android users (16 percent).
At 54 percent, the majority of online orders are for clothes, 36 percent buy books and 34 percent buy medicines. More than last year, trips (32 percent) and experiences/excursions (30 percent) were purchased online this year. More and more people under the age of 30 buy their groceries online, while the group of 30-40 year olds prefer to invest money in their home and buy decorations, furniture and home accessories from online stores. Education level has a clear influence on online shopping behaviour: the higher the level, the more product categories are purchased online.
Skepticism when buying a car or plant online
But 44 percent of Austrians absolutely do not want to buy a car online. And 30 percent of respondents do not want to buy plants online. Because they can’t form their own opinion about the quality of the goods or prefer to shop regionally, 26 percent of those surveyed categorically exclude shopping online. About 23 percent are concerned about the advice and quality when buying medicines via the internet.
30 percent of those surveyed have no reservations about online services. In terms of services, internet banking remains the number one service in this group at 75 percent. At 49 percent, almost every second person streams movies or series. And about 37 percent want their food delivered at home and 34 percent use appropriate music portals for that.
Before buying, search engines are consulted
At 63 percent, most Austrians first use search engines to learn about products and services. 56 percent trust recommendations from friends, acquaintances or relatives. 62 percent of those surveyed always compare prices before making a purchase, usually using 3 providers. The main criteria for deciding whether to buy online or in a brick-and-mortar store are 46 percent range, no opening hours (44 percent), no need to travel (39 percent) and product availability (38 percent).
Whether a webshop is regarded as reliable depends for 75 percent on the image of the company. Recommendations from friends and family are an important criterion for 71 percent, according to otago. And 64 percent are guided by the question of whether there is a “real deal”.
A study by Marketagent.com commissioned by the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Mark shows that trust plays an important role for Austrian consumers when shopping online. Because 18.1 percent of online consumers feel very safe when shopping online and 73.4 percent rather safe. 89.5 percent of online consumers favor more campaigns and offers that support safe online shopping. Nearly two thirds of online buyers order at 65.2 percent mainly from 1 to 3 online suppliers. And just over a quarter of these consumers use between 4 and 6 web shops.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
