NEARLY two-thirds of people in Spain are more likely to buy a product online if delivery is free of charge, and at least four in 10 will be more attracted to a product or service if it comes at a discount, according to recent research.
A study by Chollometro – which more or less translates as 'bargain-o-meter' – found that in 2020, around 45% of residents were more cautious when it came to spending in general, especially on non-essentials, but that 30% were expecting to buy more online in 2021 than the previous year.
Free delivery clinched sales for 65%, and discounts on the retail price did it for 43%, Chollometro reveals.
Around three in 10 said one of their main concerns was that the payment process should be quick and simple.
Communication and social media manager for Chollometro, David Gutiérrez, says: “The year 2020 saw an expansion in the profile of a consumer who wants to save money, who tightened his or her belt and did not spend money on trivial items.
“This profile of consumer pays attention to sales items, discounted goods, and tends only to buy when there are offers on.”
But although online shopping in Spain has long lagged behind the rest of the western world, and its growth – whilst steady – has been slow until the turn of the decade, the pandemic saw internet purchases soaring in comparison with physical purchases in shops, Gutiérrez says.
In fact, the greatest growth in online buying has been seen among the 25-54 age group, whose purchases on the internet have risen by 70% in the past year – particularly during the Christmas and Black Friday campaigns.
“Comfort and ease of use have been the main factors that have seen purchases via SmartPhones increase – Spain is one of the countries with the highest level of market penetration for SmartPhones per inhabitant, and this is also the most-used device nationwide for accessing the internet,” he reveals.
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