Just one in every four consumers in Ireland is currently said to be making a conscious effort to purchase goods and services from Irish websites, a study commissioned by Digital Business Ireland (DBI). The research by Ireland Thinks is based on a nationally representative sample, which DBI says was recently collected from a pool of over 30,000 panelists.
As part of the survey, respondents were asked how often, if ever, they made an effort to buy from Irish websites when shopping online. The findings were assessed across various demographics, including gender, income level, age and regional distribution. The results highlight the need to speed up efforts in helping Irish businesses to become digitalised.
Among the Digital Insights key findings were:
- 27 per cent of consumers always make an effort to buy from Irish websites
- 40 per cent of those aged 65 and over always try to buy from Irish websites online, compared to just one in 10 of consumers aged between 18-24
- While 35 per cent of women always make an effort to purchase from Irish websites, only 19 per cent of men reported doing the same
- Just 24 per cent of people earning between €30-50k try to buy from an Irish site
Lorraine Higgins (pictured), secretary general, DBI, said that from previous research, it is known that when it comes to shopping from Irish websites, every single euro counts. While consumers made a stellar effort to purchase from Irish retailers online at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been substantial drop-off in support more recently.
“For the sake of economic prosperity, it is essential that we revive the initial sense of patriotism which was embedded in consumers in early 2020,” Higgins added. “We know that consumers want websites that are mobile responsive, readily accessible, well designed and easy to use. As a country, we need to support SMEs in enhancing their online functionality.”
DBI is a representative body for the Irish ecommerce sector with over 6,000 members.
