No impulse shopping online

Johannesburg, 03 Jun 2009

Eighty percent of SA's Internet users shop online, according to MasterCard's latest survey results.

It found that locally, CDs, DVDs and VCDs are the most sought-after item category, with 58% of online shoppers saying they frequently shopped for these items online.

Airline tickets, books and arts emerged as the next most popular items, with 45% of local online shoppers saying they had frequently shopped for these items in the prior three months.

The survey was commissioned by MasterCard Worldwide to establish online shopping behaviour trends. The research results are highlighted in its Insights report, entitled Economic Crisis and Preference for Online Shopping in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

The South African sample comprised 500 people, all of whom were between the ages of 18 and 64, had a bank account, and accessed the Internet at least once a week.

“Although Internet penetration in SA remains relatively low, over three-quarters of those who do regularly access the Internet have recently made at least one online purchase,” says Anthony West, GM of MasterCard Africa. “In fact, exactly 50% of those surveyed indicated online shopping was one of the main reasons they used the Internet.”

The survey found the majority of online purchases were premeditated, with 88% of SA's online shoppers admitting they planned their shopping in advance and conducted research on their potential purchases.

The research also illustrated that South Africans found security and reputation to be as important, if not more important, as value for money when deciding whether to make an online purchase.

Extending to Africa

This was the second survey on online shopping habits, says MasterCard. The first, conducted in December 2007, only looked at markets in the Asia/Pacific region. It found online shopping in the Asia/Pacific region is set to expand in coming years, underpinned by rapid economic growth, with China and India set to lead the region.

MasterCard says this latest survey, conducted a year later, expanded to include the Middle East and SA. It sought to determine the effect the ongoing global recession was having on online shopping, and whether the previous growth projections were holding up.

The survey results for the entire Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa region show 41% of online shoppers spend between $100 and $499; 28% spend less than $100; 17% spend between $500 and $999; with the remaining 13% spending $1 000 or more.