When it comes to finding gift ideas, social media now rivals word-of-mouth and store advertising as a source of inspiration for shoppers, according to a new survey of 1,035 U.S. adults from Research Now’s consumer panel conducted by ConsumerSearch.com, part of The About Group, from October 8-12.
The ConsumerSearch.com survey found that 65% of respondents said they rely on word-of-mouth to come up with gift ideas, while 64% said they consider advertisements, emails, and retailer Web sites. That compares to 62% who said they turn to social media, including user reviews and online wish lists, as well as a variety of content on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Online reviews were far and away the most popular source of gift ideas, consulted by 41% of the U.S. adult online population.
Overall, in terms of their preferred method for finding gifts, 37% of respondents said they conduct online and offline research equally, while 24% said they prefer to research and shop online, and 17% said they prefer to research and shop in stores.
Carey Rossi, editor-in-chief of ConsumerSearch.com, noted: “Retailers have begun using social media more to reach shoppers with deals and information and we can expect this trend become even more popular over the next few years.”
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