Internet Among Retail Purchase Influences: Study

More than half of customers exiting consumer electronics stores said their purchases were influenced by Internet research, according to a stop-and-survey study.

Among those that used the Web, product and/or company sites were the most influential, followed by search engine recommendations and retailer Web sites. Banner ads, chat room suggestions and user group sites lagged far behind these influences.

Asked about the single-most-influential medium, shoppers said that newspapers and in-store associates held the most sway, followed by a three-way tie between the Internet, friends and family and “other.”

Among those that conducted online research, pricing was far and away the most influential factor, followed by the knowledge of in-store sales staff, brand reputation, quality of product, and the ability to compare other products.

The study was conducted among 322 post-purchase shoppers at 28 consumer electronic outlets. The research was sponsored by The CMO Council, in partnership with the ConsumerEdge Research Group.