Online buyers shop around

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 28, 2013

The more the merrier when it comes to the number of retail sites consumers visit when shopping and buying furniture online.
     Only 37% of online buyers visited one site while shopping; 38% visited between two and four sites; and 25% checked out five or more furniture retail sites before making a purchase.
     That's according to data from a recent online furniture study conducted by Google and Compete.
     More than half of consumers bought the same day they shopped and another 10% bought within the same week of researching product. It took 27% of shoppers three or more weeks to pull the buying trigger.
     The online channel comprised 9% of total furniture and bedding sales last year, according to Furniture/Today's latest distribution channel research.
     The Internet is also a vital step to those buying through brick-and-mortar stores. Two-thirds of in-store furniture buyers accessed online retail sites while looking for information on furniture per the Google/Compete report.

Number of sites furniture buyers visit
63% of buyers visited two or more furniture sites prior to buying
Online buyers decide quickly
63% of research sessions occur within one week of conversion
Same day	53%
Same week	10%
Two weeks	10%
Three or more weeks	27%