At least 52.5 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom and the United Staties have bought products from online stores in another country, in the last 12 months. Fashion items are most likely to be purchased from overseas stores.
These data come from new research from Nosto, a commerce experience platform. In April this year, 2,000 respondents across the United Kingdom and United States were surveyed.
Younger people more likely to shop internationally
According to the report, 67.47 percent of respondents in the age group of 35 to 44 year-olds had purchased at least one product cross-border online in the last 12 months. Respondents from younger generations were also likely to purchase overseas, with 64 percent of 25 to 34 year-olds and 61.4 percent of 16 to 24 year-olds. In comparison, only 37.2 percent of people above the age of 55 said that they bought from cross-border sellers.
70.2% of products bought overseas are from the product category fashion and accessories
When shoppers decide to buy products from an online retailer in another country, more often than not, they are buying clothes. At least 70.2 percent of products bought overseas belong to the category fashion and accessories. Products in the category sporting, goods and hobbies were also frequently bought cross-border (57.3 percent).
Pricing influences cross-border shopping
More than half (53.4 percent) of all respondents said that because of rising prices in their home country, they are more likely to look for cheaper products overseas. However, if prices are too low, 65.7 percent become wary. They often worry about product quality if the prices are too low. Consequently, they will decide to not place an order.
Concerns when shopping overseas
In general, more than 92 percent of all shoppers have concerns when they consider shopping overseas. The most common concern was not being able to return products easily (49.75 percent of respondents) and the product quality (46.8 percent).
‘Ecommerce stores need to include clear information about returns and taxes for cross-border shoppers’
If online sellers want to attract more international shoppers, the report says that they need to include clear, easy-to-find information about returns and taxes. Almost 69 percent of respondents said this would increase their trust in ecommerce stores in other countries. Including a customer support telephone number in a consumer’s country would also increase trust (64.95 percent).