Marketplace

Search

Monday, May 19, 2008

Listen to the show

Shoppers may not rely on Web

Computer user views website

When it comes to buyers' decision-making process, the Web may still take a backseat to good old-fashioned human interaction. Ashley Milne-Tyte looks into a report that says the Web may not be crucial for all shopping.

Computer user views website (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images)

More on Retail

TEXT OF STORY

Scott Jagow: When it comes to shopping on the Internet, the Web may be overrated. Ashley Milne-Tyte has this report.


Ashley Milne-Tyte: Some people can barely remember research before the Internet.

The Pew Internet Project looked at how people use the Web to shop for music, a cell phone and a home, and how much all that clicking effects their eventual decision. John Horrigan is an associate director with the Project:

John Horrigan: We found that on the order of 10 percent of people in each category said that the Internet had a major impact on their final purchase decision. And that was surprising for a good like music, where there's just a wealth of music information online and the chance to sample.

Horrigan says even most respondents in the Facebook generation said they find out about music through radio or TV, or offline friends. He says people still crave the human touch in the form of in-store sales advice, for example.

As for feedback posted by consumers, a third of us use those comments to help us make a decision, but only about 6 percent of us bother to post our own critiques.

I'm Ashley Milne-Tyte for Marketplace.

Comments

  • Comment | Refresh

  • Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.

    Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.

    * indicates required field

    *
    *
    *
     




     

    You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Music From This Show

  • Cload Four Tet
  • Keeping Pigs Together Red Snapper
  • There Is So Much More Brett Dennen
  • Snowstorm Galaxie 500

The Specials

GAME: Budget Hero

Budget Hero

Think you could balance the federal budget? Play the game.

Conversations from the Corner OfficeTM

Conversations From the Corner Office

Marketplace goes one-on-one with CEOs, company founders, head honchos...

Sit in

Working

Working

Intimate profiles of workers in the global economy.

Meet them

Marketplace on iTunes U

iTunes U

Marketplace is on Apple's online education platform, iTunesU. Get free downloads in subjects like History, Science, Business and more. Study up

American Public Media © |   Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy