The exponential growth in the popularity of e-commerce looks set to continue, as 38% of Irish people plan to increase online spending in the year ahead.
This is according to new Digital Insights research commissioned by Ireland’s leading representative body for the sector, Digital Business Ireland, and the custodians of Ireland’s national domain registry, .ie. The research issued today was carried out by Ireland Thinks and is based on a nationally representative sample, collected from a group of over 30,000 panellists.
As part of the survey, respondents were asked to disclose if they intended to increase or decrease their online spending in 2022, or whether they anticipated a change in expenditure at all. The findings were then assessed across a broad range of demographics – age, gender, income level and regional distribution. Collectively, the research offers a fascinating insight into consumer trends and behaviours that have emerged over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among its key findings, the study found that in 2022, 38% of respondents said they expect to increase their online spending, with 46% of under 45s said they planned to moderately or significantly increase their online expenditure.
Men are set to outspend women online this year, with 42% of men saying they will increase their online spend, compared to 34% of women.
It seems any hesitancy on behalf of the Irish public with regard to shopping online and the security of it, has long since subsided. These findings will be encouraging for the many businesses and retailers throughout Ireland who invested heavily in enhancing their digital functionality over the past two years.
DBI said this research comes as no surprise to the company as it witnessed first-hand the seismic shift in the Irish consumer landscape, through working with its network of 6,000 businesses.
“Today’s findings mark the first in our Digital Insights series, aimed at gaining valuable information into the prevailing opinions of Irish consumers towards shopping online,” said Lorraine Higgins, secretary general of Digital Business Ireland. “Evidently, the exponential growth of e-commerce looks set to continue in 2022, with consumers, across a range of demographics, set to increase their online expenditure. The numerous benefits of online shopping are unparalleled, and our research suggests that consumers have wholeheartedly embraced the flexibility that it provides.
“Overall the findings point to the importance of having digital functionality for businesses and retailers throughout Ireland. At Digital Business Ireland, empowering SMEs to unlock the full potential of e-commerce forms the core of our work, and we are delighted to provide these crucial insights to our members to help them position their sales development strategies for the year ahead.”
“The pandemic has accelerated many important trends in consumer behaviour, including a shift in retail purchasing preferences from the physical shop to the digital storefront,” said Oonagh McCutcheon, corporate communications manager at .IE, and national director of the .IE Digital Town Programme.
“These findings tell us that it is not wise for business owners or policymakers to divide Irish consumers along stereotypical lines, such as age or geography. Ireland is a small, connected country, and ideas, attitudes, and best practices are learned and quickly adopted. This connectedness means that nearly all Irish consumers are used to spending online. They have a well-formed idea of what a seamless online experience looks and feels like.”
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