During the pandemic, consumers report that they have stopped buying from a brand for a number of reasons, one of which was that the brand was sold out. Indeed, most respondents to a survey [download page] from inriver say they are likely to purchase a similar product from a different brand if the item they want from a specific brand is out of stock online.
The survey of 6,000 US, UK and German online shoppers indicates that many are not picky about brands when they are searching for items they want. Close to 6 in 10 are either very likely (22%) or somewhat likely (36%) to purchase a similar item if the item they want from a specific brand is not available online. Likewise, the majority of respondents say that if they can’t find an item from a specific brand online, they are very likely (21%) or somewhat likely (37%) to purchase a similar product from a different brand online.
Research from Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights shows that the majority of online shoppers believe that detailed product descriptions are an important element of the online shopping experience. This is also apparent from the inriver survey, in which more than 8 in 10 respondents reported that product information or descriptions are essential (39%) or very important (44%) when buying online.
Written product descriptions are the product detail type most important to respondents, per the report, followed by images and customer reviews. It’s critical that these product descriptions are accurate and detailed, with most shoppers saying that if product information is missing from one website they would switch to another website to find the information at least sometimes. Additionally, 7 in 10 (69%) say they have decided not to buy a product online because of a poor product description.
That said, even if a website provides all the product information needed, more than half (56%) of shoppers say they sometimes look elsewhere for information.
The full report can be found here.
About the Data: Findings are based on a survey of 6,000 shoppers from Germany, the US and the UK.
