The online shopping expenditures for single-person households and men in their 50s came in at 56.9 percent and 59 percent, respectively. (Image:Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Market research firm Consumer Insight announced on August 3 that it had conducted a study on South Korean consumer shopping habits and their changes in partnership with the Distribution Research Center at Hanyang University.
Whether it was because of the hot summer weather or other factors, the findings showed that consumers opted to shop online for basic necessities more than visiting brick and mortar stores last month. There was a difference of 5 percent, with online shopping taking 52.5 percent of the pie and offline shopping accounting for the rest at 47.5 percent.
Consumer Insight pointed out that among the different categories of consumers, “in terms of the growth of online shopping, those in their 20s and 30s played a big role” and that “among those, it can be seen that female consumers in their 30s really pushed [online shopping] forward”. The percentage of online shopping relative to all shopping expenditures were 60.2 percent, 57.6 percent and 62.8 percent, respectively.
They were not the only groups that showed higher than average rates of online shopping, however. The online shopping expenditures for single-person households and men in their 50s came in at 56.9 percent and 59 percent, respectively.
In response to a question asking about the future of online shopping, 55.5 percent answered “same as it is now”, while 35.3 percent answered that online shopping will become more popular. Only a paltry 9.2 percent answered that offline shopping will grow more popular in comparison.
The greatest growth in online shopping came among men at 37.8 percent. For men of various age ranges, those in their 40s showed the highest increase in online shopping at 43 percent growth.
Households of four also showed robust growth at 37.6 percent, a telling sign that online shopping is beginning to be embraced as a method of shopping for groups rather than for individual purchases.
Consumer Insight stated that online shopping, once dominated by women, those in their 30s and single-person households, is now increasingly seeing a steady influx of men, those in their 40s, and breadwinners of households as primary online shoppers.
Men and those in their 30s and 40s (both genders) were found to have had extensive experience in using social commerce and online markets and had purchased digital appliances, sports and other leisure activity accessories, car accessories and beauty products online.
A spokesperson from Consumer Insight stressed that the popularity of particular products can change at any time, especially as the next generation of consumer tastes are impossible to predict.
By S.B.Woo(editor@koreabizwire.com)
