Most Online Shoppers Now Buying Globally Says New Nielsen Data

Most Online Shoppers Now Buying Globally Says New Nielsen Data

A clear majority of the world’s online consumers now shop internationally, according to a new study by research outfit Nielsen.

Called Nielsen Global Connected Commerce Survey, the study tracked the activities of 13,000 consumers in 26 countries and found that 57 per cent had made an online purchase from an overseas retailer in the last six months.

According to a Nielsen blog accompanying the research, “It’s not just purchasing habits that are going digital: The whole retail experience is changing. Today’s shoppers are incorporating digital touch points along the entire path to purchase, from reviewing products online at home to using smartphones as personal shopping assistants in the store.”

These are the global top and bottom online shopping activities for selected categories shopped or purchased in the past six months
These are the global top and bottom online shopping activities for selected categories shopped or purchased in the past six months

“In fact, in some countries, such as China, consumers are using mobile devices to purchase selected categories at high rates. Omnichannel shoppers seamlessly switch between on and offline channels with ease.”

The company argues that as technology adoption and infrastructure improve more consumers will come online,  and the familiarity and comfort with digital platforms will increase.

“But today there is much uncertainty about the convergence between online and offline shopping behavior and how to drive margin and profitability in both.”

Meanwhile a separate study by Research and Markets predicts the global retail e-commerce software market to grow at a CAGR of 12.95 per cent over the period 2014-2019. That study flagged Magento, Oracle ATG Commerce, PrestaShop, Shopify and WooThemes as key retail software vendors to watch.

This article originally appeared on B&T’s sister business site www.which-50.com




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