A new study conducted by a leading point of sales company has discovered which region is home to the biggest browsers; uncovering that those living in the South West spend twice as long perusing the items and displays in shops as Londoners. Findings also revealed how long browsing times correlate to money spent in each region, with the top browsers- the South West- only purchasing goods worth £71 each week, coming 6th in the list.
In a new study surrounding the regional shopping attitudes of customers, it has been found that despite Britons from the South West spend the longest time browsing shops, those in London spend the most money in shops, averaging £98 per week.
The team at www.DisplayMode.co.uk conducted the research in a bid to explore Britons attitudes towards shopping and the purchasing habits of individuals living in different areas of the country. A total of 2,725 UK-based adults aged 18 and over were quizzed as part of the study. The recipients were spread evenly across all 12 regions of the UK.
All participants were initially asked if they thought they spent a ‘longer than average’ amount of time browsing the shelves, to which 68% answered they did. Next, respondents were asked how long they thought they spent just browsing shelves in stores each week. From this, researchers found the average for each region with the following emerging as the results:
South West – 2 hours 20 minutes
South East – 2 hours 5 minutes
North East – 2 hours
Yorkshire – 1 hour 50 minutes
Scotland – 1 hour 47 minutes
Northern Ireland – 1 hour 40 minutes
West Midlands – 1 hour 40 minutes
North West – 1 hour 37 minutes
Wales – 1 hour 30 minutes
East Midlands – 1 hour 24 minutes
London – 1 hour 20 minutes
East of England – 1 hour 15 minutes
Next, all participants were asked how much their average weekly spend on groceries and other amenities typically equates to, to see whether browsing times directly correlates with money spent. Below is the average money spent in each region:
London – £98
South East – £92
East of England – £87
North East – £82
West Midlands – £77
South West – £71
Wales – £65
Scotland – £57
Yorkshire – £52
Northern Ireland – £48
North West – £45
East Midlands – £42
Researchers then asked participants what attracted them to stay in shops for longer with ‘free samples’, 51%, topping the list, followed by ‘interactive displays’, 28%.
Finally respondents were asked “What is the main reason you browse shelves?” to which 51% said to look for discounts and offers, and 36% answering ‘to look for future purchases’.
Leon Edwards, Managing Director at www.DisplayMode.co.uk, made the following comments:
“Understanding consumer behaviour at the point of purchase can be incredibly tricky. It’s apparent, from this study that high browsing times don’t always translate to purchases and certainly don’t translate into higher value sales. What’s clear is that we can’t treat all shoppers the same; they simply aren’t a homogenous group. We must work harder to find a way to help customers with different needs, or at different buying stages, to get to the till quicker and more frequently. It will be a win-win for all concerned.”
