47% Of Female Consumers Conduct Research For Almost All Purchases

By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor

It seems as though women have a new role in their households…they’re now the Chief Buying Officers (CBOs). 

And I can attest to the fact that these CBOs don’t take decision-making lightly. After all, the headline for this blog doesn’t lie. Yes, you read it right: 47% of women conduct research on almost all their purchases.Even more surprising is that 91% of women will do an online product search, including reading product reviews, before making a purchase…even if that purchase will be taking place in a brick-and-mortar store.

That’s a lot of Google searches. 

These data points come from a new survey from Interactions, a customer experience marketing company for retailers and CPGs. This report, titled: The Power Of Persuasion,is the first part of the Retail Perceptions survey. Interactions garnered results for the study via a sample of women 18 to 60 years old across all geographies, income levels and ethnicities in the U.S. 

Here’s a breakdown of a few other key findings: 

• 96% of women said online reviews influenced whether they purchased a product. 
• 60% of respondents said they rely on reviews straight from the retailer’s web site. (Only 15.5% of 18 to 29 year olds feel this way.)
• 37% value professional sites with expert reviewers. (Up to 43% of women 51 to 60 years old prefer insights from professionals.)
• 30% of all women use a mobile device to conduct product research; 37% of mobile users tap their devices during their shopping trip. (No surprise here.)
• Only 3% said that reviews on social media sites are their preferred source for product information. (I found this surprising.)

As someone who is in the midst of a move, I gotta say, I fully agree with these findings. Review hunting was a daily necessity, and there was no researching channel left unturned as I searched for the best furniture and appliances. 

Overall, I think this study has some valuable insights regarding what female consumers look for when researching potential purchases. This may help retailers better understand the shopper psyche, which in turn, may help them refine their customer feedback strategies. 

Check out the study and let us know what you think in the comments section below!