77.5% of UK Shoppers Use the High Street for Product Research Before Purchasing Online, Research Reveals
Posted: Monday 29 June, 2009
77.5% of British shoppers research many of their electrical, lifestyle and luxury purchases on the High Street only to later buy online at a cheaper price, according to new research conducted by WowVoucherCodes.co.uk, a website dedicated to offering online shoppers the best promotional discounts available from both well known online and High Street retailers.
Tellingly, 57% of shoppers planned to buy online in advance of their trip to the High Street, meaning that the majority of this practice is premeditated. Also over 80% of all respondents indicated that they want to see relatively expensive items which they were likely to find cheaper online, in person before they purchase.
The phenomenon particularly appears to be most prevalent with relatively expensive, boxed electrical purchases, such as digital cameras, laptops and MP3 players. However, cheaper items such as CDs and DVDs and even clothing are also affected.
Consequently, with shoppers' personal finances under greater strain than at any time in recent memory, many savvy consumers are looking towards online voucher codes as a means of saving even more on their online purchases.
WowVoucherCodes.co.uk incorporates offers from brand name retailers, including Asda, Argos, AVON, Dixons, Boots, Currys, hotels.com, lastminute.com, Littlewoods, Jessops and Play.com, typically offering up to 70% discount on either the High Street or standard listed online prices The site offers discounts on products ranging from clothing and electrical items, to services such as car hire and choosing the right insurance.
Matthew Lovett, founder of WowVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented: "The survey indicates that many shoppers want the experience of being able to see and in many cases handle the product before they buy - but not necessarily at High Street prices.
"Whilst I'm not endorsing the practice of High Street research as a means of identifying the specific product to be bought online, unfortunately it's become extremely commonplace. What this shows is that there's a genuine appetite for consumers to look online, particularly when purchasing big ticket items, reflecting the cost differential between the web and the High Street - which is made even greater when accessing our vouchers.
"We list over 2,000 online stores and give customers access to a huge range of discount codes which allow them to save money on their online shopping. It's also totally free and new discounts are added every day."
For more information, please visit WowVoucherCodes.co.uk
