Phone-powered purchases – How Americans shop for electronics online
As the virtual storefronts multiply, understanding where Americans turn to when purchasing electronics, both personal and household, becomes crucial.
Diving first into household electronics like washing machines, TVs, ACs, etc., one-third of Americans shop for them via smartphones (32%). Among these, seven in ten Americans prefer using a web browser on their cell phones to make these purchases (71%). Over half of Americans place their trust in retail brands' own shopping apps (53%) while nearly the same prefer shopping from e-commerce platform apps (52%). Interestingly, social media e-shops, attract one-third of consumers (34%).
When it comes to personal electronics like laptops, smartphones, and headphones, two in five Americans buy them through mobile shopping (41%). Of these, three-quarters of Americans navigate to web browsers on their smartphones for these purchases (73%). E-commerce platforms are the next in line with 53%, while dedicated retail apps pull in 48%. Social media e-shops, in this category, see a slight dip, attracting a quarter of consumers (28%).
These findings underscore a few key insights. Firstly, the smartphone's web browser reigns supreme as the preferred gateway to online shopping, irrespective of the electronic category. Retail apps appear more favored for household electronics, possibly indicating a reliance on brand trust for larger purchases. While e-commerce platforms maintain a steady presence across both categories, social media e-shops exhibit a more pronounced allure for household electronics, hinting at the potential of these platforms for higher ticket items.
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 18 markets with sample sizes varying between 512 to 1,500. All surveys were conducted online in June 2023. Data from US market uses a nationally representative sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.