Where are shoppers looking for their next purchase? Are they browsing search engines or social media pages, or do they prefer to visit a store in person to see (and touch) what’s available?
In April's issue, Furniture News, supported by leading 3D furniture product visualisation platform Chaos Cylindo, presented a comprehensive report on how UK consumers shop for furniture – both in-store and online.
Among the areas investigated, the survey’s respondents listed every display/advertising channel that guided their search.
The store remains the principal destination for shoppers looking for furniture. But while traditional advertising channels still have a place – perhaps bolstered by smarter audience segmentation – online adverts and content, across social media, websites and search engines, is crucial to many shoppers’ research and discovery process (at 40%, the latter is particularly significant).
Other findings included:
* Three-fifths (60%) say they find new furniture on the shop floor (and 71% of those aged 65+)
* While only 5% of those aged 65+ discover new furniture through social media content, this proportion rises to 43% of 25-34-year olds. However, the better-established online advertising channels, such as search engines and social media, are beginning to lose favour among the youngest consumers
* The biggest discrepancy in use between men and women also occurs for social media content – 18% compared to 26%
* The number of shoppers citing ‘influencers’ decreases with age, dropping sharply after the 25-34 age bracket (24%)
* TV advertising/sponsorship resonates best in London (34%), while the direct mail advertising/brochure approach bears most fruit in the North West (16%)
Click here to read the full report.
