Online Spending: Add To Cart
In TrendsIt’s an accepted fact that Afrillennials use the internet for almost everything, from searching for information to socializing and finding the best deals on their most desired items. But how much is known about their online shopping habits? Better yet, ever wondered how your brand can hook this market with your own online offering? With the recent Student Spend Report 2017, we uncovered some interesting insights around Students’ perceptions of online shopping and their activities in online purchasing!
Who Shops Online Anyway?
The SA Student Spend Report 2017 revealed that only 1 in 3 students claim to have actively ever engaged and interacted with online purchasing (although students do not take into account that iTunes, in app-purchases and many other items not physically delivered to them are also online purchases, this continued low online purchase engagement from students is always one which leaves marketers baffled, but there are valid reasons for the negative perceptions of purchasing products straight from the internet.
The biggest reason for limited online transactions was the perception that one required a credit card, which only 30% of students surveyed claimed to have. Furthermore, even those with credit cards still prefer using traditional methods of shopping, sighting that these can be trusted and one can guarantee receiving purchased items right away, instead of waiting for a long period. This is appealing to students who are used to instant gratification and want to experience and feel the quality of the clothing they’re purchasing.
Students are highly skeptical and fearful from a security perspective, which comes as no surprise, particularly since they’ve been labeled a techno savvy generation afraid of online purchasing in the past and numerous warnings floating around about the dangers of online shopping.
The Ticket You Can Trust!
Online purchasing, for many students, remains a daunting experience and brands wanting to enter and thrive in this space, must do a lot more to get students on the train. Students are skeptical and will question everything at face value, which is why trust, credibility and safety come first when it comes to online purchasing. Take Computicket for example: It’s not a big surprise that they came out on top of the list of brands that students purchase from online, as the largest ticketing provider for major events to the broader public. With its existing credibility and reputation, as well as its alignment to students in being a hub for engaging in amazing experiences like concerts, students find this brand easier to trust. This trust has been established and maintained over years with the broader public.
Credibility or Convenience?
As afore-mentioned, credibility is EVERYTHING in the online space but Afrillennials have a lot of options to distract them, particularly with the rise of social media boutique’s, where brands are not just competing with other big brands for consumers but regular startups.
Students’ taste for purchasing has evolved into buying into brands that help them elevate who they are, instead of them relying on brands they associate with to speak for them. Clothing, for example, has always been important for students, but in 2017, we see a shift of students from well-known brands to unbranded items.
In terms of the smaller stores, everyone who has a smartphone can essentially start selling products online, using their social media platforms. It is now more crucial than ever for brands to make the experiences convenient as possible, as competing sellers are implementing creative ways to attract their young buyers online. The benefit established brands hold is their credibility but this will only count in their favour if the offerings they have are appealing and online platforms are easy to use.
Faker Haters
Within this year’s survey there was a significant increase in online clothing purchases from online retail stores from 18% to 40% including the rise of stores like Zando, Spree, Superbalist and MRP. Students are however weary of following a purchase through to completion, using online stores as browsing platforms for when they’re about to go to the actual stores.
Admittedly, with fake sites and the simultaneous rise of online boutiques, being so readily available, marketers who want to take their products to greater heights by adding an online purchasing element, may need to think outside of the box to get Afrillennials not only clicking to view their products but also making the big purchase. The Student Spend Report 2017 found that students who had transacted online, found it to be a useful and an easy thing to do. Once they’ve had a great online shopping experience, they’re likely to repeat it and use it frequently.
Click-Click – Boom!
If you’re thinking of placing your brand in the online space or need some help making your existing platform more attractive, we can help. For more information on the unabridged Student Spend Report 2017, or more information on how we can push the online visibility and trust of your brand with the 18-25 market and beyond, contact us on 011 885 3918 or email [email protected].