Men Buy Big, Women Buy Often – Kiwis’ Online Shopping Habits

5 November 2012

News release

Men Buy Big, Women Buy Often – Kiwis’ Online Shopping Habits

As New Zealanders click onto online shopping, differences are emerging in how we shop on the net.

New research shows women are more comfortable indulging in retail therapy over the internet but men are more likely to spend up large online.

Commissioned by Auckland company Lassoo Media & PR, and conducted by Perceptive, the research canvassed more than 1,000 people nationwide during July and August and found 71% had made a recent online purchase. More than half of us – 53% - are buying more goods and services online than we were 18 months ago.

“We know more and more people are shopping online but we wanted to find out how often they do it, how much they’re willing to spend and what sort of items they are buying online,” says Lassoo director Anna St George.

Nearly half of female online shoppers (44%) had bought footwear or clothing whereas 45% of the men had bought appliances or electronics gear.

“Currently most purchases online – about 70% – are valued at under $100 but, interestingly, 10% of men have spent more than $400 on a single purchase on the net whereas only 4% of women have.”

Regional differences are also emerging:

• Waikato and Canterbury residents are more likely to buy home and living items online
• Wellingtonians are keen on health, fitness and beauty products
• Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty folk are less keen on shopping online than other regions

Nearly half the women surveyed (47%) are more likely to multi-task while shopping online compared to men (41%), thereby giving weight to the theory men prefer to do one thing at a time. However, age does play a part.

“Multi-tasking while online is particularly strong among women aged 18 to 34 and 45 to 64 but it drops off between the ages of 35 to 44 – possibly because they are already multi-tasking while holding the baby!” says St George.

Comparing prices online, particularly on smartphones, has become a major occupation for many Kiwis. As for streaming online content, 40% of men say they are doing this far more than they were 18 months ago.

New Zealand websites are regarded as extremely secure for online purchasing, with 80% of people saying they feel comfortable using them for shopping. However, buying from overseas sites is less favoured, with only 36% saying they’re happy to do so while a surprising 28% weren’t comfortable with this at all.

“This is something Kiwi companies could, and should, use to their advantage,” says St George. “Given the sophistication of many overseas sites and their global shipping ability, the focus for NZ e-commerce needs to be on growing spend and keeping up with international models before they start taking further share.

“The increasing use of devices and multi-tasking provides an opportunity to build on media frequency of messaging and allow deeper engagement. Streaming is obviously the ‘beyond the (tv) box’ opportunity - taking TVCs or video into the digital arena to broaden reach.”

About Lassoo Media PR:

Lassoo is an Auckland-based independent agency, providing an integrated service of media, creative, digital and public relations. Based in Ponsonby, the company was established 10 years ago by Anna St George and Bridgette Franklin and now has a staff of 12.

ENDS

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