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70% of online consumers make returns, but only 21% would pay for them

E-commerce in Spain continues its unstoppable progress, with great data: 43% of online consumers will increase their digital purchases compared to last year, there are already 7 out of 10 consumers who buy at least once a month. These data come from the II Veepee-IESE study on the future of e-commerce in Spain, with the main objective of knowing the consumption habits of digital consumers and future industry trends.

The most outstanding fact of the study is that, despite the fact that sustainability is a growing concern, there is a strong reluctance to bear costs for it. Half of online consumers in Spain buy and sell second-hand products and 31% regularly use brand clothing recycling services. In addition, 53% are willing to buy on demand to be more sustainable despite the increase in delivery time that this entails. However, same as last year, only 1 in 3 digital buyers are willing to pay green costs and never more than 10% increase.

This reluctance to pay it is also reflected in delivery services. Up to 90% of online consumers prioritize free deliveries over having the package arrive at home or ultra fast. In fact, 30% anticipate picking up the order at a delivery point if this saves the cost. In case of having to pay, online buyers are not willing to assume a cost greater than €6 for fast delivery in 24-48h or at home and only 14% would pay an annual subscription to receive free shipping with an average rate of 27 €5.

Regarding returns, 7 out of 10 online consumers in Spain make them regularly, although only 10% of their purchases. The vast majority are not willing to assume costs for this service either: 3 out of 4 consumers choose to go to the store to save on costs and 1 out of 3 keep the product or try to sell it on a second-hand platform. In fact, only 21% of digital buyers in Spain are willing to pay for returns and never more than 10% of the original value of the product.

Purchases with the mobile, through the web and without payment in installments

The II Veepee-IESE study on the future of e-commerce in Spain shows how mobile phones have become essential for many people not only to communicate, but also to buy. Up to 77% of online consumers use this device regularly for your digital purchases, a percentage well above the laptop (50%), desktop computer (32%) or tablet (18%). However, the majority of digital purchases (73%) are made through the web and 6 out of 10 online consumers in Spain state that they prefer this channel to the app.

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In terms of spending, the majority of online consumers (60%) spend between €20 and €100 a month on their digital purchases and up to 3 out of 10 are in the highest bracket with more than €100 in online purchases. Despite this disbursement, very few people buy in installments: only 1 in 10. Although the higher the purchase frequency, the greater the tendency to postpone. One in five weekly online consumers usually pays in installments, data that drops to 5% among semi-annual consumers or less frequently.

Fashion (39%) and travel (35%) They continue to be the product categories with the greatest forecast of online purchases, followed by entertainment (33%) instead of technology (32%), which falls one position compared to the previous study. The forecast also denotes a return to normality prior to the pandemic since, compared to the previous year, culture and sportswear increased slightly, while home orders and products for sports at home or home decreased.

An omnichannel customer journey

The Veepee-IESE study also analyzes the journey a customer takes from learning about a brand, considering buying, and acquiring a product or service, process known as customer journey. The report shows how the channels of first contact with brands are the traditional ones: 8 out of 10 online consumers discover new brands thanks to comments from friends and acquaintances and/or by visiting physical stores. On the other hand, when looking for information and buying prices to assess the purchase, the digital world gains weight over the offline with 80% resorting to search engines and online stores.

In both processes, marketplaces play a prominent role in brand visibility since 7 out of 10 consumers discover brands thanks to them and the same ratio uses them as a source of information and price comparison to value the purchase. Users also highlight its after-sales services such as better prices for shipments, more punctual and flexible deliveries, and better options for returns.

The impact of social networks, instead, it is uneven. On the one hand, half of online shoppers in Spain look for information on products and brands on social networks, with Instagram being the most used and influential. In contrast, influencers only discover brands to 28% of consumers, although for generation Z they are much more relevant and the percentage doubles to 59%.

The last process, the moment of purchase, is the one with the greatest omnichannel nature, especially according to the product category. The online channel wins in the purchase of experiences: 3 out of 4 trips are purchased digitally in Spain. For fashion, technology and beauty there is a balance; while home and food are mainly physical purchases. In fact, only 1 in 4 food baskets is purchased online and 3 out of 10 online consumers in Spain state that they never buy food through this channel.

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