Largest W2S Survey Ever Conducted - Breaking Results

Back in late September 2006, I launched an effort here at ShopLocal to conduct the largest and most comprehensive W2S survey that has every been conducted. After working with our great clients, we got 30+ retailers on board from a wide range of retail categories. I honestly never expected the massive number of responses that we ended up getting from a small, non-obtrusive free (eg no compensation for the respondents) survey. I was and still am really blown away. If this has taught me anything it is that people online like to fill out surveys and tell you what they think.

Below are some of the highlights of this landmark survey taken from the official company press release that launched today...

"The Online Circular and Shopping Benchmark Survey Finds 95% of Shoppers Who Check Online Deals Weekly Visit a Retailer at Least Once a Month with 53% Shopping Every Week

Consumers who first research products online are more likely to spend more and purchase more in-store rather than over the Internet, according to a new survey from ShopLocal, the leading multi-channel shopping resource. Of the more than 37,500 people who responded to the quarterly survey, 69 percent said they gathered information on products online and then made at least one purchase at a local store compared with 27 percent who bought over the Internet.

The majority of respondents (56 percent) went to the online circulars specifically to browse sales and discounts before purchasing and another 35 percent cited new specials piqued their interest. There was some variance from category to category with respondents indicating they browsed through the online circulars for less costly items, such as comparing groceries and beauty specials, but with a specific consumer electronic in mind, people often used the online circulars to research and compare specific items before visiting their local stores.

The Online Circular and Shopping Benchmark Survey was conducted by ShopLocal from October 26 through December 5, 2006 from 32 retailers and across five major categories: consumer electronics, food/beverage and health/beauty, home and garden, mass merchant and office supplies. Over 37,500 shoppers who went to the retailers Web sites responded to the survey."

Why Do People Go To A Newspaper Website?

According to the a new study just released by the NAA (Newspaper Association of America - Internet Shopping & Advertising Study -- Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006 - Prepared by MORI Research), about one out of three visitors to a newspaper web site went there to get information on retail stores...

"Newspaper Web Sites and Shopping Information
One-third of Internet users (32 percent) and 24 percent of all adults visited a newspaper Web site in the previous 30 days

Newspaper Web site visitors on average do more things online, including shopping, than is the case with other Internet users. This is amply documented in the recent “Power Users 2006” report from NAA. For example, among past-30-day, newspaper-site visitors, 55 percent have seen or used online preprint advertising, compared with only 42 percent of other Internet shoppers.

Why do users visit newspaper Web sites? Almost two-thirds of past 30-day visitors mentioned various types of advertising information, including 30 percent citing retail shopping information in particular. This proportion spikes up to 39 percent among the 25-to-34 age group.
Internet Shopping & Advertising

Question: Thinking of all the reasons you have visited the newspaper’s web site, for what types of information or services have you looked at or used the site? (aided)

Reasons Visited Newspaper Web site

• News (net) 88%
• Local or regional news = 80%
• National news = 66%
• Advertising (net) = 62%
• Shopping information for retail stores = 30%
• Homes or real estate search = 29%
• Job hunting information = 28%
• Shopping for cars or trucks = 19%
• Weather = 57%
• Movie listings or other entertainment information = 46%
• Sports scores & information = 42%
• Stocks or stock market = 21%
• None of these = 2%
  

Base = Adults who visited newspaper Web site in past 30 days"

Online FSI / Circulur Ads Give A Better Sense Of A Product Than A Printed Insert

In a new study that was just released by the Newspaper Association of America (Internet Shopping & Advertising Study -- Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006 - Prepared by MORI Research) some more interesting insights were found about the whether an online FSI / circular ad gave a consumer a better idea about a product...

"Product Appearance: Earlier, it was noted that 53 percent of newspaper preprint users agreed that they give a good idea of what products look like. The Internet, however, seems to have an advantage over preprints on this characteristic, although there obviously is much room for variation. By a 62 percent to 25 percent margin, online shoppers said that they get a better sense of product appearance on the screen than with a printed insert. Women (55 percent) are somewhat less inclined than men (62 percent) to favor the Internet on this question. (Newspaper preprint users who shop online are about average on this question.)

Question: In general, would you say that you get a better idea of a product’s appearance by seeing it in a printed advertisement in a newspaper insert, or by seeing it online, on a web site?

Product Appearance in Printed Insert vs. Online

• Better seeing product online = 62%
• Better seeing product in print advertisement = 25%
• About the same = 11%
• Neither = 2%
• Don’t know = 1%
  

Base = Adults who shopped online in past 30 days"

New Research About People's Awareness That FSIs / Inserts Are Available Online

In a new study that was just released by the Newspaper Association of America (Internet Shopping & Advertising Study -- Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006 - Prepared by MORI Research) some very interesting conclusion were found about the general public's awareness that FSIs / Inserts / Circulars are available online...

"Awareness of Online Inserts: Almost half of online shoppers said that they have seen or checked online versions of newspaper advertising inserts that are available at some store Web sites. Young adults, especially women age18-34 (57 percent), are more likely to have seen online preprints. Awareness also is higher in the Northeast (52 percent) than the Western (42 percent) census regions.

Question: Some companies who advertise in newspaper inserts make the same information available online. That is, you might go to a store’s web site, enter your zip code, and see pictures of the same insert that appeared in your local newspaper. Have you ever seen or used a feature like this on any store’s web site?

Aware that Inserts Are Available Online

• Yes, have seen or used this type of feature online = 47%
• No, have not seen or used this type of feature online = 52%
• Don’t know = 1%
  

Base = Adults who shopped online in past 30 days"