The top categories of online spending include

More and more consumers are ordering goods online. Image: REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

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The report contains a variety of interesting data concerning online shopping. For example, respondents clearly favor price as the main purchase driver (46% claiming as top motivation), far ahead of other drivers such as the product not being available in-store (18%) and the shopper wanting to stay at home (14%).

When shopping online, 62% do so alone, while 38% are accompanied by someone else. And of note, fully 1 in 4 purchases are made while watching TV.

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The study also details the top 3 categories purchased per country, with much similarity across markets. Fashion is the most commonly purchased e-commerce category in 9 of the 15 markets covered, including the US, where 88% report purchasing clothes online. Technology is also a popular category, being the top one for 4 markets and within the top 3 in 11 of the 15 markets. (See the above chart for the top 3 in each market.)

In other highlights from the report:

• The laptop is the device most frequently used for purchases online, followed by smartphones and desktops;
• Retailer websites or apps are the first port of call for product and service research for 26% of respondents, beating out price comparison sites (16%), family and friends (10%) and the store (8%);
• Almost 8 in 10 online shoppers who search for products online also look for other users’ opinions and comments; and
• Online shoppers are satisfied with prices, ease of use of websites and apps, ease of finding products, and the amount of choice, but are not as satisfied with the quality of recommendations.

About the Data: The survey was conducted by IFOP institute from May 4-23, 2016 in the following countries: Australia; Belgium; China; Denmark; France; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Italy; The Netherlands; Singapore; Spain; Sweden; The United Kingdom; and the USA.

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