When it comes to e-commerce, the top driver is actually something the experience doesn’t offer.
According to two surveys of online shoppers in the U.S. and Canada conducted by Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity, in December 2015 and January 2016, a leading 55% of respondents cited the lack of crowds, traffic and hunting for parking as a top reason to buy online. Another 46% said shopping online takes less time than shopping in stores, while 46% also mentioned free shipping.
In addition, while about one-third of online buyers actively looked for online deals during the year-end 2015 period, 60% actually used them. This means many online shoppers wind up using online deals even if they don’t set out to.