Indian Shoppers Are Taking The Hybrid Path To Purchasing: Report
Indian shoppers are following a hybrid path to purchase while opting between offline and online channels, according to the '2022 India Shopper Story Report' by Criteo. a commerce media platform.
Overall, 45% of Indians surveyed for the report, browsed products online but bought them at a store, whereas, 44% purchased online after selecting products at a retail store. Meanwhile, 52% of Indians also confirmed purchasing products online via retail or brand shopping applications. Concurrently, shoppers also continue to visit physical stores to speak with knowledgeable salespeople and discover more unique merchandise, added the report. The opportunity to trial through touch-and-feel remained the main motivation for customers to visit physical stores.
Source: Criteo Shopper Story, India, January 2022, N=1010. Survey respondents are consumers who use the internet at least once every month.
As Indian shoppers are becoming more inclined towards online shopping, their purchase decisions are increasingly influenced by the retailer or brands’ website aesthetics. According to Criteo’s findings, 58% of Indian shoppers answered that retail and brand websites have become more influential in their purchasing decisions over the past two years.
Source: Criteo Shopper Story, India, January 2022, N=1010. Survey respondents are consumers who use the internet at least once every month.
Improved search capabilities and user experiences are contributing to increased value for customers. One-third of shoppers report significant improvements in product search and discovering what they're looking for on retailer or brand websites. This has also led nine out of ten shoppers to confirm that they have recommended a company to someone based on a good experience they had.
Source: Criteo Shopper Story, India, January 2022, N=1010. Survey respondents are consumers who use the internet at least once every month.
Furthermore, Indian shoppers are browsing more on different internet devices throughout the week and the growth of the open internet creates additional opportunities for them to discover, explore and purchase things online. A majority of shoppers in India confirm they click on ads while using the internet and buy products they see in online ads, with more than 90% of shoppers claiming that online ads they see are for products they want to buy, and the majority of both female and male shoppers confirm that they buy the products recommended to them in ads. This demonstrates that customers recognise the value of addressability in advertising.
Source: Criteo Shopper Story, India, January 2022, N=1010. Survey respondents are consumers who use the internet at least once every month.
With evolving addressability impacts, it is recommended for marketers to continue focusing on amassing as much first-party data as possible, and simultaneously develop a strong commerce media strategy on the open internet that can cover multiple channels in the consumer journey. Additionally, it is important to be seen where Indian shoppers are the most engaged today. According to the eMarketer, India’s video viewing is forecasted to reach 512 million viewers by 2025. Keeping the unified audience strategy in mind, marketers need to add both out-stream and in-stream ad formats as part of their strategies in order to reach their target audience holistically and ensure consistency across creatives, messaging, and targeting to deliver impactful business results.
