Affluent shoppers are 47pc more likely to purchase online: report

Affluent consumers are 47 percent more likely to make a purchase online compared to their non-affluent counterparts, according to the latest study from Martini Media.

The Affluent Online Shopper Index found that affluent consumers also continued to purchase products and services after the 2012 holidays and throughout the first quarter of 2013. Since these consumers are shopping via the Internet, luxury marketers should make sure that their sites offer ecommerce to remain competitive.

“We all know that the affluent spend more,” said Michael Goldberg, senior director of marketing and communications at Martini Media, New York.“The significance here is that after a record-breaking holiday shopping season, while most people take a break from buying, the affluent continued to spend and outpace the rest of the population.

“The affluent are leading the spending charge online,” he said. “Brands will need to understand how to talk to this audience in an online environment.”

The Martini Media Affluent Online Shopper Index powered by comScore measured behavior and engagement levels of the online affluent audience with a household income of more than $100,000 and comparing them to non-affluent consumers with a household income of less than $100,000 during the first quarter of 2013.

The data takes into consideration comScore's measured online panel of one million U.S. Internet users to detail online shopping, search and site visitation data for the affluent audience.

Keep spending

The study compared affluent consumers’ shopping habits during the first quarter of 2013 to the last quarter, or holiday season, of 2012. The data shows that affluent consumers have not slowed down in their shopping habits and are further outpacing non-affluent consumers during the beginning of 2013.

Affluent consumers were 47 percent more likely than non-affluent consumers to make an online purchase during the first quarter of 2013.

Missoni's e-boutique

In addition, affluent consumers spent an average of 41 percent more on individual purchases when compared to non-affluent consumers. Their average individual purchase price was $184.

The difference in spending habits between the affluent and non-affluent continues to shift further apart when looking at luxury ecommerce.

Affluent consumers are 74 percent more likely than non-affluent shoppers to purchase products from a luxury retailer’s Web site.

What they’re buying

Affluent consumers are using ecommerce to purchase a variety of items.

During the first quarter of 2013, affluent shoppers spent the most money online on events and movie tickets. On average, these consumers spent $171 on this category.

Additionally, these consumers spent an average of $163 on apparel, accessories and jewelry, $155 on electronics and computing, $122 on home and living and $113 on general services.

Spirits conglomerate Diego's ecommerce site

The data shows that ecommerce is important for affluent consumers since they are willing to purchase a variety of items online, which means that luxury marketers need to boost their ecommerce efforts.

“The most surprising finding is just how much the affluent spend on event and movie tickets online,” Mr. Goldberg said.

“When you typically think about this audience, you think of consumers that tend to shop in brick-and-mortar stores,” he said.

“For them to purchase items as mundane as movie tickets shows that this audience truly counts on being digitally connected to guide their everyday leisure activities.”

Final take

Erin Shea, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York