Survey: Purchasers Research Products Online Before Buying

Eighty-seven percent of nearly 7,500 respondents to BIGresearch's June Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey said they research products online before buying them in a store occasionally to regularly.

BIGresearch is a market intelligence firm providing analysis of consumer behavior in areas of retail, financial services, automotive and media. The syndicated CIA monitors the pulse of more than 7,000 consumers each month.

Of those who said they researched products online before buying them in the store, 58 percent made less than $50,000 per year, 51 percent were female, and 59 percent were between the ages of 25 and 54. The survey also divided these respondents into two income brackets to profile which items were most frequently researched online, but purchased in person by those making above and below $50,000 per year.

Those in the higher income bracket researched and then bought electronics most often, followed by home improvement items and appliances, according to the survey. The lower income bracket reported electronics, apparel and medicines/vitamins/supplements as their top three products researched online, then purchased in person.

In both income groups, the top search engine used for product research was Google.com by a large margin, but WalMart.com made a surprising appearance in the top 5 websites used first among those who did their comparative shopping online before buying in the store.

Additional information on the CIA may be accessed by going to: BIGresearch and clicking on "Complimentary Top Line Findings."