Since
college students spend a great deal of time on their phones, does that mean
they prefer to shop with their digits instead of heading to a physical store?
Not necessarily.
According
to the latest monthly student survey conducted by NACS OnCampus Research,
students tend to blend their online and in-person shopping. For instance, the
majority of students still buy most clothing during visits to bricks-and-mortar
locations. However, 27% will go online first to look up information before they
set off for the store.
Conversely,
21% of students said they browsed apparel in a physical store prior to actually
placing their order online.
The same is
true of technology products. While 41% of students said they bought tech
merchandise online, another 43% researched tech products on the web before making
the purchase at a store.
More than
two-thirds of students do visit the websites of online-only retailers, such as
eBay and Amazon, at least once a month, with about a quarter doing so every
week. Whether they’re shopping online or in a physical store, price is still
the most important facet in deciding what and where to buy. Free shipping was
important to 56% of respondents. Convenience and product quality still matter
to students, but not nearly as much as cost.