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Laura Hanson shops for a digital camera Nov. 3, 2005. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Tony Avelar More Canadians go online to browse before buying as Internet shopping increases
LuAnn LaSalle, The Canadian Press Sep 27, 2010 16:46:59 PM
Be the first to Comment 0 Recommendation(s) More Canadians were using the Internet to "window shop" before buying, a trend that has increased as online shopping becomes more mainstream, says Statistics Canada.
Canadians ordered $15.1 billion worth of goods and services on the Internet last year, up from $12.8 billion in 2007.
"A lot of Canadians are going online to inform themselves and then for other reasons, they're then making the final purchase in a retail location," the agency's senior research analyst Larry McKeown said
In 2009, more than half of Canadians went online to "window shop" — to browse or research items — up from 43 per cent in 2007, the study said.
Virtual window shopping for goods such as electronics, furniture, appliances and cars came before the in-store purchase for Canadians, McKeown said from Ottawa
"They want to be able to test drive what they're buying, they want to be able to open that refrigerator door, they want to be able to sit in the driver's seat of the car," he said.
"So that's why we're suggesting the Internet is complementing retail in some categories."
Canadians were still using the Internet to order travel services, entertainment products like concert tickets, books and magazines, followed by clothing, jewellery and accessories, the survey found.
Internet browsing is more pronounced among younger Canadians under the age of 35, with 67 per cent of this age group going online to window shop.
"Younger Canadians who have grown up using the Internet, when they begin to enter what I call their income earning years, may start buying these items online as well," he said.
Overall, e-commerce has grown in popularity.
"In some respects e-commerce has gone mainstream because we're seeing a higher proportion of Canadians using the Internet to make an online order, it's almost 40 per cent now," McKeown said.
About 39 per cent of Canadians aged 16 and over used the Internet to place more than 95 million orders in 2009 — up from 32 per cent and the 70 million orders in 2007, when the survey was last conducted.
Queen's University business professor John Pliniussen said shoppers are more comfortable using the Internet and websites and payment systems have improved.
He said comparison shopping sites make it "so simple to know whether you are getting a good deal or not," he said from Kingston, Ont.
Pliniussen also said it's not surprising that Canadians are fans of online window shopping.
"I think we just have a natural curiosity for getting the best bang for the buck," said Pliniussen, who teaches Internet marketing.
The study found that online shopping translated into in-store sales.
Last year, 69 per cent reported subsequently making a purchase directly from a store, up from 64 per cent in 2007.
The average order on the Internet has gone down to $158 to $183, which may reflect the economic downturn last year when retail sales also fell, McKeown said.
Big online shoppers are accounting the bulk of online activity.
The top 25 per cent of online shoppers spent an average of $4,210 during 2009, accounting for almost half (49 per cent) of total orders and more than three-quarters (79 per cent) of their value.
Pliniussen said the challenge for e-commerce isn't just about buying.
"The big hurdle, the big frontier is international shipping and returns," he said.
"So when China comes on stream and we can start accessing sites and products from over there, how they deal with foreign exchange and shipping and handling." |
發表於 2010-9-27 19:53
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