Early-Adopting Techies Still Buy In Stores
Like most consumers, tech-savvy early adopters research their purchases online. However, many of them make their actual purchases in brick-and-mortar stores, according to the "Technology Influencers and Consumer Electronics Retail" report from the Consumer Electronics Association and CNET. Technology influencers spent about eight hours researching individual purchases, compared with 3.5 hours for the average US adult. "CNET's audience has often been viewed as a reflection of future consumer technology spending and shopping habits," said Claudia Haase, director of user research at CNET.com. The company said that its audience of early tech adopters was usually about two years ahead of the general population in shopping and spending habits. However, even those who typically bought online said that brick-and-mortar stores were best for instant gratification.
Last Word: The internet isnīt changing the cognitive process to make a purchase decision, but it is allowing people to connect with content to make a quicker decision. Brands in categories with disrupted content consumption patterns (e.g. cars, finance, travel, technology, music, information) have an urgent need to invest in an easily accessible, always-on infrastructure of content. The threat is huge for those brands that donīt have this segmented messaging infrastructure. Disrupted prospects will make their decision using the information at hand. If this content is 3rd party information, your brand will lose its ability to influence the purchase decision.
Read the full story in eMarketer
