A Digital Relationship With Stores
Online followers
55% of Millennials (vs. 39% of over 35s) declare that they follow a store on social media. The Portuguese are the undisputed leaders in this category (77%). Meanwhile, only half the proportion of French and German respondents follow a store (39% and 38%).
The videos posted by retailers on social media are a source of information for 1 in 2 Millennials. Here again, the Portuguese demonstrate the degree to which they have embraced the digital world (67%), unlike the Slovaks and the Czechs (35% and 33%).
Spectators, but also actors
As consumers, Millennials are not simply happy to spectate, preferring to be active and get involved via social media. 36% have asked a retailer at least one question online, while 29% have joined a discussion forum. The Italians knock the Portuguese off the top spot in both rankings. The Germans and Austrians seem to be less fond of these virtual interaction and discussion spaces. Meanwhile, French Millennials are still sitting in the cheap seats of the social media theatre.
Connected purchases
Beyond social media, the connection between the web and physical stores is fully exploited by Millennials. Although 69% of them buy certain products online without checking their availability in stores, just as many surf the web for information before making a purchase in a shop (68%). Once again, the Portuguese are the most digitally active (80%), while the Germans and Norwegians find themselves at the other end of the scale (56% and 58%). The majority of Millennials (56%) search for prices online during their visit to a store. The Poles, Italians and Swedes are the most likely to make use of this facility (68%, 66% and 66%).
Millennials also use shops to find out about new products before buying them online, no doubt to take advantage of lower prices (56 %). When in a store, they also have no hesitation in photographing items and sending the image to friends or family in real time to seek their opinion (44%). This is particularly popular among Italians, while the Slovaks are not particularly keen on the practice.