A year’s data from the An Post e-commerce Index reveals that convenience is the key driver for online purchases with a 72 per cent vote, while 40 per cent of all online orders come through retailer social media or marketplace websites and apps. An Post is making detailed findings from its study available to Irish SMEs to help them adapt to changing customer expectation and multi-channel purchase patterns with its ‘Get Ready for Peak Guide’.
The guide outlines where and how consumers are spending online, their propensity to support Irish businesses and how purchases vary with seasonality. An Post has also launched an email service for new and existing SME customers with e-commerce queries answered by an expert. Irish SMEs must be mindful as 95 per cent of Irish adults have shopped online in the past year, global players set expectations on convenience and customer experience.
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Over half (58 per cent) of consumers said they would make more online purchases if guaranteed delivery dates were available. The research shows the opportunity that exists for Irish SMEs to maximise their e-commerce offering during the selling window from October to December. Just over in two would prefer to support Irish businesses during this period and one in three said they did not want to pay import charges on imported products.
Juts over half bought around Black Friday and the Christmas period based on an online offer or with a retailer discount code. Garrett Bridgeman (above), managing director, COO, An Post Commerce, said the index has the most up-to-date insights into Irish consumer behaviour online – from the growth in popularity of certain categories, the frequency at which consumers of all ages are shopping online to the channels they use to purchase.
Key findings from the index:
- Convenience is the top driver for online shopping in Ireland at 72 per cent followed by time savings (64 per cent) and competitive pricing (52 per cent)
- 40 per cent of all online ordering is through retailer social media or marketplace websites and apps
- 58 per cent would make more online purchases if guaranteed delivery dates were available
- 81 per cent of all online purchases were under €100
- Over 60 per cent of Irish consumers prefer to shop directly through retailer websites, highlighting the importance of a user-friendly online experience
- October to December are key trading periods for e-commerce retailers
- More than eight in ten consumers claimed to use Irish websites for Christmas gift shopping, with the top two categories being toys (90 per cent) and gift vouchers (93 per cent), while almost half claimed that fast delivery was the main reason they shopped on Irish websites.
- 52 per cent would prefer to support Irish businesses during Black Friday/Christmas sales period
- 32 per cent do not want to pay import charges on products coming from outside of Ireland
- 56 per cent made purchases across Black Friday and Christmas based on an online offer or with a retailer discount code
- Subscription services are growing in popularity as almost half of 16–24-year-olds now having a subscription service including monthly beauty boxes and menstrual products
- Clothing is the leading product category for online purchases at 62 per cent followed by books (47 per cent), beauty products (40 per cent), toys (30 per cent), consumer electronics (32 per cent) and jewellery (20 per cent)
- Black Friday and Christmas sales saw significant increases in the purchases of toys (38 per cent), consumer electronics (36 per cent) and jewellery (24 per cent)
