Men shop online twice as much as women
By Gemma Taylor 11:31AM - Mon 26th September 2011
Men shop online nearly twice as often as women, according to results of a new study published today.
According to real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, 40 per cent of consumers now shop online, with men admitting to purchasing items on the internet once every 2.5 weeks compared to women, who do so once a month on average.
The report, which canvassed the opinions of more than 10,000 shoppers, also found that consumers in Germany, Sweden and the UK are leading the move into purchasing clothing and footwear online, standing at 16 per cent, 14 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
This would suggest that consumers are gaining confidence in purchasing items online, although the report also revealed that fears about online security remain the biggest barrier to e-commerce.
This follows results of a study earlier this month, in which one in three consumers admitted to being less likely to shop online due to fears over fraud risks.
PayPoint.net, which led this research, pointed out the importance of fraud detection methods as the number of high street retailers focusing on multichannel development continues to rise.
In spite of this, Peter Gold, Head of Cross Border Retail EMEA at CBRE, stated that the results highlight the importance of improving digital platforms.
“Our research shows that the physical store and the internet are not adversaries but complementary,” he explained.
“Customers research price and availability online before making a purchase, which can be through any channel. Retailers use online shopping to test out new markets and direct browsers to their stores.
“Across Europe, consumers are most comfortable blending the best of both worlds - the speed and convenience of an online purchase with the more broadly satisfying and social experience of a trip to the shops.
“In challenging economic times it is the multichannel proposition that improves customer choice and also provides the most dynamic solution for retailers.”