A majority of 73% consumers prefer online shopping, especially on mobile: Snapchat study

Snap has revealed new insights looking at the ways young Indians plan and celebrate the highly anticipated festive season, and the unique opportunities in the ‘path to purchase’ for brands to engage with shoppers. 

In a study of over 1,500 Indian social media users aged 13-35, including over 850 Snapchatters, the research reveals three distinct shopping moments during this period of festivities (shopping to prepare, shopping to celebrate, and shopping for gifts).

The ‘Celebration Cycle’ also demonstrates the strength of Snapchat as a research platform for gifting, with 79% of Snapchatters getting gift ideas from Snapchat. 

In India, 59% of all shoppers cite gift giving as important, but finding the perfect gift is key, with 61% of shoppers saying that finding the right gift helps demonstrate love for their friends and family. When looking at Snapchatters, 60% of them agree that giving gifts is important to them.

Snapchat is widely used for gifting research by Snapchatters and also serves as a driver of inspiration before purchase, it said. As per the platform, 78% use Snapchat for research before purchasing and 79% use it to find inspiration for gift ideas.

Among those who use Snapchat for research while shopping, half (50%) of Snapchatters often discover new and exciting brands and 49% find creative ideas for gifts from Snapchat. Also, over one-third (35%) of Snapchatters start shopping for Deal Shopping Days at least one month in advance.

The research also revealed that festive shopping is being powered by online and mobile shopping as compared to traditional in-store shopping. A massive 73% of consumers prefer online shopping especially on mobile.

Also, 97% of millennials and 78% of GenZ consumers prefer online shopping as compared to in-store shopping.

For brands looking to engage with this cohort of planners, the research has revealed the top content Indian Snapchatters are seeking from brands, to inspire their gifting journey. Topping the list is product reviews, followed by product tips and guides and product comparisons. 

When preparing for the festive season and researching gifts, shoppers expressed that augmented reality (AR) aids the process of decision making.

About 81% of Indian shoppers feel that AR experiences can be a fun way to learn about or explore a product, 78 % of shoppers think that AR experiences can be a great way to get ideas for gifts and 77% of shoppers feel that AR is the future of shopping.

76% of shoppers said that AR experiences are a great way to get gifting ideas and that they are more likely to purchase it, if they can view or interact with the product. Also, more than 9 in 10 Shoppers find AR experiences appealing, especially for shopping clothing and shoes.

The research also highlights that Snapchatters plan on spending about 50% more as compared to non-Snapchat users. Brands are more likely to be considered if they create branded AR experiences, and the research shows that AR users plan to spend nearly 31% more than non-AR users during the 2022 holiday season. This trend can also be observed in retail purchases (Rs 21,684 vs. Rs 16,754) and beauty purchases (Rs 22,074 vs. Rs 17,827).

Overall participation in celebratory gifting is high in India. The research shows that while Diwali and New Year’s Day top the list for end of year shopping, up and coming holidays are gaining in popularity, and providing more moments for brands to engage. 

Top five moments for end-of-year shopping:  

• 77% of Indian shoppers shop for Diwali.
• 53% of Indian shoppers shop for New Year’s Day.
• 46% of Indian shoppers shop for Christmas.
• 40% of Indian shoppers shop for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
• 37% of Indian shoppers shop for New Year’s Eve.

Prasanna Raman, Vertical Lead, Snap Inc, said, “As Diwali, New Year’s Day, and other occasions like Deal Shopping Days continue to gain popularity in India, the festive season can potentially pose a hard time for brands to cut through ever increasing competition. Piquing audience interest and driving engagement through innovation is key to sustaining consumer purchase. Snap’s state of the art Augmented Reality (AR) has time and again proven to increase both engagement and business results for brands. Augmented Reality immerses the Snapchatter community by creating unique product or brand experiences, providing shoppers with personalised camera moments every time they interact, building brand affinity through the shopping experience.”

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