Mums Online

The convenience of internet shopping has always appealed to mothers but in research carried out in April this year it appears that the internet is becoming a dominant factor in the choices mothers make

The research found that while one third of mothers actually buy on line over 60% used the internet to research purchases before they bought.

In terms of influences 47% of mothers used as search engine to find out information but 16% were influenced by email news letters. This is more than those who researched via branded websites (12%) and shopping comparison sites (11%)

Although this research was carried out in the USA it is likely that there similar pattern here in the UK

Nice to think that your newsletter might affect the purchasing behaviour of more people than the website of a multi national company!

Looking at UK research a Verdict report in May 2008 found that 59% of all internet users used the internet to research purchases before they bought

Interestingly almost 85% of consumers surveyed in the same report thought that the internet was better than the high street when it came to finding unusual products and this was the primary reason why people shopped online. It will be no surprise that the 2nd most popular reason sited was price comparison with 76% of consumers using the internet to get the best possible price. The 3rd most common reason for shopping on line was the width and depth of products available online compared to high street stores

In Mothercare's results which were published recently sales were up a fabulous 19.5% proving that the baby market is resilient even when times are tough but Mothercare's direct sales were up a huge 28.6% as their customers took advantage of the convenience of internet shopping and the wider ranges Mothercare make available online

The reasons why consumers chose not to buy online are also interesting

75% of people think that shopping on the high street is more enjoyable than online

86% think that customer service is better in shops than online

Almost 90% trust high street stores more than online stores and 91% think its easier to get a refund in a shop than online