I was just reading an interesting press release about the research habits of today’s consumers. It said that 75% of consumers research big-ticket items online, and then 90% of those people go on to purchase those big-ticket items from a local store. Based on my own habits, I have to agree with that assessment. I’m all about shopping online for small items, but when it comes time to buy something big, I head out to a bricks and mortar store.
As a matter of fact, I just went through this very scenario a couple weeks ago. I was helping my aunt research the latest models of Maytag refrigerators since her old one sounds like it’s liable to quit working at any moment now. I looked up models, features, reviews, and pricing information online, and then took my aunt to the store to actually look at the ones that she liked. She hasn’t actually made a purchase yet, but I’m sure when the time comes we’ll go back to that same store — which would bear out the data set forth in the press release!