How do Brits decide on their large home appliance purchases

A new YouGov study reveals that nearly a half of all Brits are planning to purchase a large home appliance like a washing machine, dishwasher or refrigerator over the next 12 months. Generally speaking, the large home appliance market is very competitive in Britain, and data about how consumers arrive at a purchase decision can give brands an edge.

In this piece, we specifically examine the sources that consumers rely on to inform their purchase decision for products like these. The data reveals that consumers across different age groups have vastly varying priorities in this regard.

Ensuring high customer reviews online is paramount for brands in this space to succeed, given that it is the most commonly cited source of research among Brits in general, alongside comparing products on retailer websites (62% each). The middle-aged group (aged 35-54) are particularly likely to bank on online customer reviews as a way to inform their decision (71%).

It’s not just customer reviews that help with product research though – reviews from experts also hold sway (52%).

Seeing the products in the flesh can also be a key determinant, especially among older consumers (those aged above 55). While majority of them say that visiting a physical store to see a product in person is one of the ways they research their options (58%), younger (43%) and middle-aged consumers (47%) are less likely to indicate the same.

Younger folks (aged between 18-34) are far likelier than their middle-aged (28%) and older (24%) counterparts to rely on the opinion of friends, family and colleagues to help with research (50%). Watching online videos/demos (21%) and checking social media for recommendations (11%) hold lesser, but still substantial, sway.

Expert reviews ascend to the top spot as a source of research for large appliances when consumers are asked to list the single most important source of information. A quarter of Brits say expert reviews are the most important factor in their research journey (25%), slightly ahead of online customer reviews (22%).

Seeing products in person take the third spot (19%), while comparing products on retail websites also is crucial (15%). Recommendations from others are a particularly influential aspect among the younger crowd, 13% of whom pick it as the single most important factor. The younger crowd is also much likelier to place most importance on online videos and demonstrations (6% vs 2% of other age groups).

Where would people shop for large home appliances?

We also look at consumer shopping channel preferences for large home appliances across age groups. Physical electronics or appliance stores (e.g., Currys, John Lewis) dominate as the most preferred option for all age groups (48% overall). Among 18-34-year-olds, this preference spikes to 55%. Online retailers (e.g., Amazon) are more favoured by the middle-aged segment (30%) more than the other groups.

Older consumers have the strongest affinity towards independent local retailers (11%). Manufacturer websites and supermarkets remain niche choices, with less than 10% preference across all demographics.

The amount of time it takes to get the product delivered can also be a key factor. Three in ten Brits say delivery time is a very important factor in their decision to purchase a large home appliance (31%), while another 49% say that it is somewhat important.