Retailers looking to charge up their European expansion efforts could do much worse than looking into new research from ING, which shows the most demanded items for 13 key markets.
A survey of 11,814 mobile shoppers around the continent shows clothing being the most sought-after product category across Europe, with 35% of EU shoppers purchasing a garment over the web during the last 12 months. However, the level of demand varies according to the market being targeted.
In Italy, for example, there is a much higher need for electronics, with 40% of smartphone and tablet shoppers loading up on gadgets during 2014 compared to 36% buying clothes.
Poland is one of the biggest markets for groceries, proven by one in four citizens (26%) buying items in this category last year, although an even greater proportion – of 41% – have purchased clothes.
The report claimed to highlight a number of “nuances” in purchase behaviour which could help carve retailers’ expansion strategies.
Connected countries
Conducted in partnership with Ipsos, the research painted Britain and the US as markets in rude health, as both saw one in three of their mobile shoppers (32% and 36% respectively) buying clothes in 2014.
The US and the UK even hold sense of dominance in very specific categories, standing as the only markets who surpass the 20% purchase rate for music.
In other areas of Europe, signs of struggling economies and mobile adoption appear to be having an impact. In France, clothing is the most popular product category thanks to 26% buying garments in 2014. But in electronics (16%), games (15%) and groceries (14%), the country is trailing the pack.
On the flipside, retailers may want to take notice of movements in Turkey, where over half (56%) of mobile shoppers purchased clothes in 2015 and 47% bought electronics.
For a full look-over the findings, here is the final table.
