Published
Mar 7, 2019
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Britons are Amazon addicted, large numbers buy fashion there - report

Published
Mar 7, 2019

As many as 86% of Britons shop or browse on Amazon and those who do shop there seem to be increasing their spend in larger numbers (21%) than those who are cutting back on their Amazon fix (13%).


AFP



That’s according to new research from Mintel that said overall, 70% of Amazon customers shop with the retailer at least once a month, while 17% do so on a weekly basis.

It spoke to 2,000 consumers aged 16+ and said that while books, DVDs or video games make up the most popular purchase category, fashion and jewellery are joint second on the list (along with electricals, both at 30%). 

And it seems that those who are shopping there often do so using devices they bought on Amazon and that have been made by the company - the Fire Tablet (14%), and Echo (11%) are among the most popular Amazon-owned devices.

GO-TO DESTINATION

Why are people shopping there? Well, 51% of users assume they’ll find the cheapest prices on the site and 59% say that they’re “loyal to the company.” So it’s no shock that as many as 70% say it’s the first retailer they go to when shopping online.

The company’s Prime subscription service is also helping to keep people within the Amazon ecosystem as 39% of UK consumers “have access to” Prime, while 26% are members (the other 13% share access through someone else’s account.) Mintel said that puts membership at around the 15 million mark in Britain.

And that membership should only rise as Prime’s popularity is bigger among younger consumers. Some 63% of 16-24s and 52% of 25-34s have access to this premium service. Given that Prime membership “has a major impact on purchasing, with members significantly more likely to purchase across all product ranges,” it bodes well for Amazon’s future growth.

Although Prime is a paid-for service, the free and fast delivery that comes with it is its big draw and given how often consumers are shopping on Amazon, they’re clearly getting maximum value out of it. That said, while 66% of those with access to Prime say they regularly use the delivery option, the cost of Prime is also a big barrier to further recruitment as 44% of those who have never been members say it’s too expensive.

HIGH STREET KILLER?

But does all of the above mean that Amazon’s continued growth is going to finally kill off the high street? Some 45% of Amazon users think so and believe the e-tailer is responsible for physical stores closing. A lot more of them seem to be in denial that their behaviour could be hurting physical stores though, as they continue to flock to the site and indulge in behaviour that undermines stores. As many as 75% of Amazon shoppers say they often check the prices of products they see in-store on Amazon and 70% research products elsewhere but buy from Amazon.

However, the presence of smaller retailers on the Amazon marketplace allows consumers to feel better about using the e-tail giant and 40% of users believe it supports independent retailers. Interestingly too, 29% believe that shopping via Amazon Smile is a good way to give to charity, further evidence of people channelling their good works through the businesses they patronise these days.

Mintel also said that while Amazon is so huge, it’s not quite the retail killer some see it as. Even if it accounted for roughly 50% of the online market held by online-only retailers, it would only account for around 9% of all UK retail sales. And 82% of retail sales in the UK still come through physical stores.

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