SA middle class to shop online for Christmas
A substantial proportion of SA’s middle and upper income consumers intend to shop online this Christmas.
This is according to the Acentric Christmas Shopping Intentions Survey 2014, a study of around 400 South African shoppers.
The wealthier segment of the country’s population also intend on spending more than last year in spite of the slowing economy.
The survey was completed on the 9th of November 2014, and is representative of middle and upper income South Africans in terms of age, gender, race and household income.
The survey found that online shopping is now almost equal in importance to conventional distribution channels.
“Almost 31% intend on doing at least some of their shopping online this year, making online almost equal to mainstream stores (36%) in terms of purchase intentions within the middle and upper income brackets,” said Craig Kolb MD of Acentric Marketing Research.
“While these consumers may only buy a small number of items online and still complete the rest of their shopping in conventional brick and mortar stores, the fact that so many are being exposed to the online experience means greater opportunity for future growth as consumers learn to trust and enjoy online shopping.”
Shoppers have a more practical focus- in contrast to more affluent US shoppers who have a greater luxury and technology focus. Food and mainstream clothing are top items in SA, along with alcohol – an item which is more likely to be at the bottom of US shoppers’ lists.
Price is also very important, as evidenced by the popularity of discount stores, the survey found.
SA’s middle and upper income groups remain unaffected by signs of a worsening economic outlook, with approximately 34% intent on spending more this year.
In contrast, only 26% intend on spending less. The majority, however, intend on spending about the same as the previous year (38%).
In terms of the types of items that shoppers are interested in purchasing, food leads the way with 55% intending to purchase Christmas related foods; followed by toys (48%) and mainstream clothing & accessories (41%).
“The results imply a focus on essentials rather than luxuries; shoppers seem to view utility as a key guiding principle behind their purchases in most cases. The popularity of gift cards also indicates a practical focus, with 35% intending on purchasing gift cards rather than selecting a potentially unwanted gift,” Acentric said.
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