In the opposite direction, 23% of Internet users are in the habit of visiting a physical store before closing an online purchase; For respondents, price and convenience stand out in online purchases, but after-sales and ease of exchange are still strengths of physical storesc

onsult the internet before going shopping has already become a common habit. Data from a survey conducted by the Credit Protection Service (SPC Brazil) and the National Confederation of Shopkeepers (CNDL) in all capitals of the country show that 47% of consumers with Internet access assume the custom of always doing research Online before realising a physical store purchase. The most searched types of information are the prices (30%), the details and characteristics of the products or services (12%) and the opinion of other customers (5%). Only 13% of respondents buy in physical stores without making any prior consultation in the online environment. Other 40% refer to the consultation eventually depending on the type of product or service to be purchased.

Mobile phones (59%) are the ones that most generate occasional searches on the internet before the purchase is effected in the physical store. Next, the appliances (54%), electronics (50%) and accessories for mobile phones, tablets and computers (25%) appear. The books are cited by 19%, as well as travel. Clothing items, footwear and accessories such as handbags and belts have 17% mentions.

The sites that offer price comparison tools and product characteristics are the most sought after by Internet users (62%) at these times, followed by sites that measure the complaint rate of a particular brand or product (54%). The online stores of large retailers and the sites or applications of competing brands are consulted by 50% and 35% respectively. Social networks (23%) and specialized blogs (20%) complete the list of most accesses in the search for references.

If you consult the Internet before making a purchase in physical stores has become a habit of the Brazilian Internaut, the inverse also happens, although in a smaller proportion. Almost a quarter of the Internet users (23%) always visit a physical store before acquiring a product online. In these cases, the items that the interviewees most seek to see in person are household appliances (48%), electronics (47%), mobile phones (44%), Garments and footwear (25%) and perfumes and cosmetics (18%).

"Consumers increasingly use the Internet not only to acquire products and services, but also to compare, inform and seek the opinion of other buyers, researching the reputation of brands and stores. This process has been occurring for some time now and has profoundly altered the balance of forces between shopkeepers and customers. The physical stores need to be attentive to the needs of the customers, which are multi-channel. That is, they are transiting simultaneously through online and physical platforms, "says SPC Brazil President Roque Pellizzaro Junior.

Price and convenience are featured for online purchases, but relationship in after-sales and ease of exchange are strong point of the physical stores

The study also reveals, in detail, in what circumstances the physical stores gain the consumer's preference and in which moments the virtual purchase stands out. In general, the Internet is the preferred medium of 60% of users at the time of shopping, while 14% still prefer the physical stores and 26% are said to be indifferent.

Among those who prefer the online environment for shopping, more than half (55%) justify having the impression that the products tend to be cheaper on the Internet than in the physical stores. Other reasons still mentioned are the convenience (51%) and the speed (26%). Those who prefer to buy in physical stores argue that, in this way, they avoid, disappointments with the product, because they see everything personally (49%). The satisfaction of having the product at hand immediately after the purchase is cited by 43% of these respondents and 35% like to enjoy the purchase as a leisure time.

For 79% of Internet users The prices of the online stores are better than those of the physical stores and 79% said there is more convenience when buying over the web. The online environment also stands out when respondents respond to the largest variety of products (70%), availability of information (61%), possibility of customizing the purchase (61%), fast acquisition (60%), ease to choose Products (60%) and better payment methods (47%).

The framework, however, changes when consumers reflect on safety and after-sales. In this case, 38% indicate the predominance of physical stores when analyzing the quality of the relationship that is established between tenants and customers (38%) and the ease of performing eventual exchanges (69%). In addition, 50% feel safer and less anxious when making physical purchases than online.

"The physical stores will need to invest more and more in the quality of the time that the customer spends within them, offering more creative means of testing the products, for example. The great differential is still the material and sensory aspect. That is, the possibility of seeing, exchanging, experimenting. At the same time, the service must be of quality, with vendors technically well prepared, able to advise and ask questions from buyers, "says the chief economist of SPC Brazil, Marcela Kawauti.

Methodology

The research listened to 673 Internet users of both genders, over 18 years of age and of all the social classes of the 27 capitals. Then, they continued to answer the questionnaire 611 cases, which made some purchase over the last 12 months. The margin of error is 3.4 points to a confidence margin of 95%.