More Than 80 Percent of Shoppers Research Big Purchases Online - Greater Cincinnati Automobile Dealers Association
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More Than 80 Percent of Shoppers Research Big Purchases Online

This summer, the Motorcycle Dealers Association of Indiana (MDAI) published an article that said more than 80 percent of shoppers now do research online before making a big purchase.  The article was based on the GE Capital Retail Bank’s Second Annual Major Purchase Shopper Study. 

 According to the study, the amount of people who begin research online at home has increased by 20 percent since last year.  Researches that consumers conduct include prices, models, financing, and insurance.  Daniel Moeller, 23, of Morrow, Ohio recently bought a motorcycle, and did several months of research before making the purchase.  

 “I’d never gotten a bike before or ridden on a bike very much besides my roommates’” Moeller said.  “I went through the bikes by different years and prices, and [looked at] personal opinions and reviews on what people thought of their bikes… Getting to know what people thought about bikes kept me away from purchasing a bike that was too powerful for me, or purchasing one I wouldn’t like.”

 Moeller said because of the research he did, he found out many hidden qualities in the bikes he looked at than he would have otherwise.  Consumers that participated in GE Capital Retail Bank’s study said that digital tools empower them to compare prices and find the best value. 

 On average, consumers researched for 79 days, visited 5 unique retailers, and 3 online merchants before making their purchase.