As the festive shopping season gathers momentum, new research conducted by technology group Cisco reveals that 69% of South Africa\u2019s generation Y population shops online.<\/p>\n
The 2012 Cisco Connected World Technology Report<\/em> (CCWTR) finds that\u00a063% of SA\u00a0respondents\u00a0purchase up to 24% of their goods on retail websites<\/p>\n The results for South Africa are based on a survey commissioned by Cisco of 1,800 Generation Y (Gen Y) university students and young professionals, aged 18 to 30, across 18 countries.<\/p>\n \u00b7 Privacy versus coupons and discounts<\/strong><\/p>\n Nearly 60% of South African respondents are willing to share their email address with stores and online sites in order to receive notices about discounts and sales. However, a very small percentage of these consumers would be willing to share their phone number, home address, or similar information.<\/p>\n \u00b7 The importance of online reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>65% report using online reviews at least occasionally when making purchasing decisions. However, of all the consumers surveyed worldwide, South Africans were found to be least likely to use online reviews prior to making purchases, as more than one third indicated they rarely or never do so.<\/p>\n \u00b7 Tracking and analysing consumer activity<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>The growing interest and reliance on internet retail sites means that there is an increase in online data, presenting greater opportunities for marketing and sales campaigns that are based on analysing, correlating, and cross-referencing consumer data.<\/p>\n Big Data analysis is being adopted at a rapid rate by retailers, both for retail stores and online sites.<\/p>\n Almost half of the South African respondents are conscious that many stores are likely to track and analyse customer activity and shopping habits, but most express their disapproval of the idea. A quarter of the respondents was unaware of such monitoring and also expressed their distaste for it.<\/p>\n \u00b7 Lack of consumer trust<\/strong><\/p>\n Although consumers love the convenience of online shopping, over four out of five Gen Y respondents, globally, stated that they do not trust most Internet sites to keep their private data safe.<\/p>\n Tablets driving online shopping<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Lower prices, convenience lures SA shoppers online<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nAdditional highlights<\/h3>\n
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