60% of adults change their shopping habits due to promotions

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Retailer promotions are directly impacting the buying habits of 60% of UK consumers, according to new research from RapidCampaign. It reveals that promotions influence 28% of consumers to spend more, 27% to buy from retailers they would not normally choose and 25% to make purchases they would otherwise not have made.

The survey of 2,011 UK adults shows the nation's appetite for engaging with retailers via promotions is high, with only 8% saying they are not interested in them. It also reveals that gender and age have a role to play in how people respond to promotions. Over a third (34%) of 18-34 year olds say they make them spend more, compared to only 24% of those who are older, while men are much more likely than women to buy from retailers they do not normally shop with (30% compared to 23% respectively).

Critically, over half (53%) of UK adults look more closely at promotions if their friends have recommended them.

The full results are presented in a new report, The Brands We Love v The Brands We Buy, published by RapidCampaign to help retailers shape their online promotion strategies. It explores consumer attitudes and behaviours towards online promotions and compares what consumers say they find the most appealing against what they actually respond to.

The report also showcases specific buyer personas, enabling retailers to understand what appeals to different consumer groups and match the right promotion to their target audiences. Some key insights include:

• Promotions on social networks are most effective with those aged 18-34 years
• Those aged 25-34 years are twice as likely to engage with games/interactive promotions than any other age group
• The big voucher users are 35 years or more
• Coupons or a voucher codes are most popular among the 35-44 age group
• Those aged 45+ are much more likely to respond to surveys
• Women are more active than men in responding to promotions
• Email is the best way to engage with older generations

Email is the overall channel of choice for hearing about promotions, cited by 76% of consumers, and the majority (57%) actively subscribe to email newsletters just to get the latest offers. But the research shows retailers would be wise to integrate social media into their promotion strategy. A third of consumers follow online retailers on social networks to get the latest offers and 46% would share a retailer's promotion on social media channels if it meant getting a better deal.

The influence of social media is greater when targeting those under 35 years old, with almost a third (30%) preferring to hear about promotions via Facebook, compared to 15% overall, and one in ten cited Twitter, compared to only 5% overall.

When asked about the types of promotion that appeal the most, coupons or voucher codes top the list (cited by 74%), followed by instant prize draws (cited by 26%). A significant 87% have actively engaged with a promotion over the last six months, notably surveys (64%), coupons/voucher codes (59%) and competitions (39%).

Marko Luhtala, CEO of RapidCampaign, comments: "As a retailer, engaging your customers and encouraging them to continue down the path to making a purchase decision is crucial. Achieving this is not straightforward, but our research highlights the power of promotions in changing shopper behaviour and giving them a solid reason to buy.

"Well-crafted promotions make the purchase process more engaging and rewarding and can encourage the customer to take the next step towards making a purchase. By understanding your target audience, the channels they use and the promotions that appeal, you can turn your retail business into both a brand they love and a brand they buy."

Research methodology

The survey of 2,011 adults living in the UK was conducted by Vision Critical in January 2015.