Buying fashion online is integral

K3 Retail has been involved in a recent report into consumers' attitudes to buying

fashion online, which provides additional insight to help shape retailers' ecommerce strategy.

The report shows just how integral the internet is becoming to buying fashion in general, not just buying it online. This is a point that retailers from the smallest independents through to the largest high street chains should take note of. Whether your customers buy on your website, or come to your stores, often they use the internet at some point in the decision-making and purchasing process.

With the internet boom continuing to flourish, percentages have reached an all time low with research showing that only 22% of men and 13% of women never browse fashion sites before a visit to store. Looking for specific items and price checking are the key reasons for looking at websites, whether purchases are online or offline.

Tony Bryant Head of Business Development, K3 Retail, said, “Today’s consumers are presented with – and welcome – a growing number of channels through which they can buy from their retailer of preference. Their ever more diverse shopping journey may take them to the store, website, mobile, catalogue, or increasingly, any combination of these choices, in whatever sequence suits their personal circumstances or inclination. Increasingly, consumers expect to be able to browse through one channel, then choose, purchase, collect or even return goods via another. In other words, they want to ‘channel-hop’.”

Bryant continued, “What we are seeing today is only the beginning. Soon it will be hard to even define ecommerce, let alone measure it. Improved search tools, access to user reviews, instant price comparisons, active social networks and more, are fundamentally changing shopping.