More than one in five (22 per cent) UK shoppers leave a retail website to check reviews before they commit to a purchase, according to new research from RTB House.
That’s according to a newly launched European Shopping Trends report, which surveyed 4,500 consumers across nine European countries, and explores how consumers make purchasing decisions across today’s increasingly complex shopping journey.
The findings reveal how rarely European shoppers commit to an immediate purchase. Across the nine markets surveyed, just 26 per cent make a purchase on their first site visit. 81 per cent consider more than one brand before buying and 75 per cent visit more than one website before buying.
More than half (51 per cent) need two or three visits to the same website before buying, while 19 per cent return four or five times, suggesting that for many consumers, leaving a retailer’s website is part of the decision-making process rather than the end of it.
The research also reveals how shoppers are more likely to want online ads that support discovery and brand consideration than remind them of products they’ve already seen. More than a third (38 per cent) of European shoppers say they like online ads to show them products they have never seen before and 33 per cent want information about the brand rather than specific products, while 29 per cent want to see products they have already viewed.
Przemek Wyszynski, managing director at RTB House said: “Our European Shopping TrendsReport shows that consumers rarely make purchasing decisions in a single visit. They’re moving between websites, considering different brands and effectively building a shortlist before deciding what to buy.
“For retailers, a shopper leaving their website shouldn’t automatically be seen as a lost customer. They may still return to complete the purchase. The opportunity for brands is to stay relevant and front of mind throughout that journey, which requires a full-funnel approach, from discovery and brand building through to re-engagement and conversion.”
Share