Online consumers adopt new habits in the face of the crisis: more food purchases and second-hand transactions

Regular online shoppers have adapted their consumption model to the current economic situation, marked by the consequences of the war in Ukraine and inflation, and due to their desire to save and promote a more sustainable and circular economy, they have adopted new shopping habits. buy betting on C2C (Customer to Customer) transactions and on the purchase of second-hand goods.

These are two of the main conclusions of the 'E-shopper Barometer 2022' carried out by Geopost, a group to which Seur and Tipsa belong. The work reflects a change in purchasing habits after the Covid-19 crisis, as well as different behaviors in the countries analyzed, the former has reported.

The study, for which 36,000 online interviews have been carried out in 22 European countries and 9 non-EU countries, indicates that despite the fact that there has been a slight decrease in the volume of purchases compared to the previous year, regular online buyers appreciate the offers they can find, as well as the time they save and the stress they avoid by shopping online, a view that has persisted even in the context of an economic downturn.

Food purchases grow

Despite the decline in sales, consumers purchase products in a greater number of categories on average and although fashion-associated products continue to be the most purchased online, new habits are reflected with the notable growth in the purchase of food and essential fresh products for daily life.

Health, beauty and medicine are also experiencing growth, as are sales between individuals.

On the other hand, delivery to convenience points continues to gain popularity, especially in Northern and Eastern Europe, but home delivery remains the preferred option for consumers.

Second-hand transactions on the rise

With the war in Ukraine and its economic consequences, especially inflation, as a backdrop, online shoppers are more price sensitive than in the past. However, they remain convinced of the time and money saving benefits of shopping online and are increasingly motivated to use the web to find deals.

The desire to save money and participate in a more sustainable and circular economy has driven an increasing number of users towards second-hand C2C (Customer to Customer) transactions.. Last year 70% of regular 'e-shoppers' used a C2C platform, either as buyers, sellers or both.

While those who buy on these platforms do so primarily for economic reasons, those who sell are motivated by the desire to save space in their homes and earn extra money.

more and more expectations

E-commerce has gone from being a novelty to becoming a widely accepted sales channel. Shoppers are more demanding than ever, as they expect a seamless shopping experience, fast and reliable delivery, the ability to track their packages, and the freedom to decide when and where they will be delivered.

Among the ten most important criteria when buying online, the first is free delivery, followed by free returns and the absence of hidden costs.

The decrease in satisfaction that has been detected may be due to the increasing desire of consumers to manage and personalize the delivery experience and to the discontent among the youngest who, after buying on websites they did not know, have been disappointed with the strip time, no notifications, tracking or location issues.

70% of Spaniards buy 'online'

The study reveals that 77% of Europeans and 70% of Spaniards are online shoppers, with Italy in the lead (83%), followed by the United Kingdom and Bulgaria (81%) and Germany and the Netherlands (80%). .

Among online consumers, 48% of European consumers use this method of purchase regularly, while 63% consider that shopping allows them to save money. Poland (57%) and the United Kingdom (55%) lead the list of habitual 'e-shoppers' while with 40% Spain remains stable in this figure compared to the last two years.

Regular internet shoppers in Europe purchase at least one product category each month and account for the majority of online shopping activity, accounting for 87% of the total in Europe. These buyers receive an average of 5.3 packages per month.

In Europe, the profile of the usual buyer is that of a woman (56%) aged 42.4, 45% are married and 86% live in cities. In Spain, 59% of regular buyers are women, with an average age of 41.6 years, 44% are married and receive an average of 4.6 packages per month.

Spaniards prefer home delivery (88%), followed by collection at transport company stores (24%) above the European average of 16%.

57% of buyers buy products on second-hand platforms, an average of 12.2 times a year, approximately once a month; while Spain registers a purchase frequency slightly lower than that of Europe, with 8.2 times a year.

Spaniards buy on second-hand platforms (such as Vinted or Wallapop, for example) for various reasons such as saving money (67% of those surveyed) or to promote a more sustainable circular economy (37%).