Geometry Global Study Shows Impact of Digital on Asian Consumer Habits

Consumers across the globe are mixing the online and offline worlds more and more when they shop and are doing so in different ways and to varying degrees, depending on lifestyle, what they are shopping for, and the country they live in, according to a new research by leading activation agency, Geometry Global. 

Connected Shopper offers rich insights into how people are incorporating the digital world into their shopping behaviours. Based on research conducted in 12 countries across four continents, the study examines the usage, motivations and relevance of the internet to shoppers throughout the Purchase Decision Journey.

People across the globe now spend an average of nearly four hours daily using the internet for personal, non-work related reasons. Those in emerging markets spend more time online - such as China (4.3 hours) - compared with those in mature markets.  More people in fast-growing markets, like China and India, also demonstrate more versatile and digitally-savvy shopping behaviours.

The research underlined the growth of social networking and the increasing role of social media in influencing purchasing trends. It identified six distinct behaviour patterns that shoppers follow, ranging from least to most digital-savvy – observers, functionalists, explorers, experimenters, techsters and future forwards.

The evidence reveals a number of interesting trends and behaviours in emerging markets and Asia in particular:

- Respondents from China (70%) and India (68%) strongly agreed with the statement: “It is essential for me to have access, all the time, everywhere” – well above the global average (51%)

- Chinese consumers are far more active in making online purchases (5.9 per month) compared to the global average (3.3)

- Globally, laptops and desktops are still the most popular ways to access the internet

- China has a very high penetration of smartphones among internet users (86%) – nearly 30 points higher than India (55%), and 50 points higher than Japan (33%), the country with the lowest penetration

- Visiting official brand sites for product information is noticeably more prevalent in China, particularly compared to mature markets like the USA, UK and France

- Analysis of usage of mobile/ tablet devices in-store shows big differences between countries – just 31% in the UK and 35% in the US, compared to 94% in China and 87% in India

- The majority of shoppers (66%) continue to visit physical stores. However, the trend is reversed in China where the majority of consumers (61%) indicate that do not visit stores in person – this was not observed in any of the other markets in the study

Commenting on the study, John Goodman, CEO Geometry Global, Asia Pacific emphasises how identifying and understanding the key cultural drivers and barriers in consumer purchasing behaviour is crucial for brand marketers and retailers in today’s rapidly changing shopping landscape.  He said: “The path to purchase is complex, as people gather information and opinions in both digital and physical retail spaces. The connected shopper wants access to all shopping channels – but not all at once; only the right channel at the most convenient time for them.”

Gareth Ellen, Regional Planning Director, Asia Pacific added: “Marketers looking for increased sales need to build a better awareness of the browsing and shopping habits of their target consumers and know that these will vary according to geography and product category. For example, in many fast-growing markets, shoppers are online more often, making more online purchases, and integrating digital and physical retail more frequently than consumers in more established markets.”

This paper is the first in a series highlighting specific findings from Connected Shopper: A global study analyzing how digital is impacting today’s shoppers. A full copy of the report can be downloaded here.