The time has come for online shoppers to get savvy in order to make the most of online bargains, argues Voucherbox.co.uk
UK consumers who turn to the internet to do their shopping are missing out on thousands of pounds worth of savings and discounts according to a survey commissioned by Voucherbox.co.uk. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, 41% of shoppers admitted to never using voucher codes when making purchases online and 10% of respondents said they didn’t even know what a voucher code was.
In contrast, just 10% of survey respondents stated that they always look for a discount or voucher when shopping online and amongst 18-24 year olds, only 31% claimed to use voucher codes when shopping online. This rises to a modest 40% amongst 25-34 year olds, and again to 53% of 35-44 year olds who utilise the money saving potential from using voucher codes.
These figures follow a recent investigation into online and store shopping by eBay and Deloitte which found that two thirds of all shoppers consult a number of retail sources before they make a purchase of more than £100. This research also found that that young professionals aged 25 to 44 are behind three quarters of all retail sales.
Shane Forster, UK Country Manager of Voucherbox.co.uk, comments: “Our survey findings make for interesting reading given that younger professionals account for the majority of spending in the online retail sector. Whilst it seems they are willing to browse and spend, it is now evident that this same demographic is also missing out on a significant amount of discounts.
This research challenges some of the trends that we are increasingly seeing in terms of how consumers are using the internet. For instance there has been a huge growth of search terms of big UK high street brands such as H&M; and Debenhams, which have been increasing rapidly in the last couple of years. It is clear from this that people are becoming more and more voucher aware, but our research highlights that this is not widespread enough amongst certain demographics of people who could be saving money on a regular basis.”
