New survey shows quarter of UK shoppers follow retailers on social media

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Apr 16, 2015

Business intelligence research consultancy Future Thinking has just revealed the results of its 2015 Shopper Barometer, which looks at the current trends and future consumer habits of UK shoppers.

Photo: Future Thinking

According to the research, more than a quarter of UK shoppers, 26%, follow brands on social media. Nearly half, 44%, said they do so "in the hope to receive discounts and rewards for their loyalty." In the last year, almost all shoppers, 92%, said they had bought  a product or service online. But the internet hasn't yet replaced visiting stores for food and everyday items: just 13% regularly buy groceries online.

Most of the users following brands on social media, 60%, are under 35 years old. The second largest group are families (59%) and women (51%). Facebook is the most popular social media site to follow brands on, with 93% of those who follow brands doing so there, followed by Twitter at 52%. A third of shoppers, 32%, use social media platforms to seek advice or leave an opinion about a product or brand.

Finally, the research revealed that the most popular "new technology" already exists - 69% shoppers chose card-only checkouts in supermarkets as their favourite new technology.

Noreen Kinsey, Head of Shopper Insight at Future Thinking, comments on the report findings: “Despite the well-documented ‘buzz’ around rapid advances in technology, including ‘delivery drones’ and mobile payments, it is interesting to see that this hype is not generally reflected amongst consumers. The biggest opportunity for consumers and retailers appears to be on social media, where users are engaging in the hope of receiving discounts, and retailers can employ more effective marketing to a ‘captive’ audience."