Online Shopping Habits Vary across Countries

The fact that online shoppers in China are three times more likely to desire a clear return policy than online shoppers in the United States should suggest to e-commerce businesses that a universal payment platform will not necessarily translate to all shoppers in different countries. A recent survey found that while online shopping itself may be a nearly universal behavior, and habits differ slightly based on nationality.

Pitney Bowes Inc. found that while shopping online is almost universal – 93 percent of those surveyed had purchased products online and nearly half said they had done so in the previous month – there were slight variations in feelings toward prices, selection of products, the checkout process, the shipping process and shipping costs.

For example, French consumers are seven times more likely to want to actively track an order than Japanese consumers, while Canadian consumers were half as likely to care about an accurate delivery date than either Chinese and South Korean consumers.

" … To be successful, retailers need to ensure they can offer a simple and seamless online shopping experience, and have a clear understanding of consumers’ purchasing, shipping and communications preferences in each market," said Pitney Bowes's Jay Oxton in a press release.

In an increasingly globalized world, the internet transcends traditional boundaries, providing companies that accept credit cards online a tremendous opportunity to bolster international sales. An Internet World Stats survey estimates that nearly one-third of the world's population use the internet, so business owners must thoroughly understand their clientele.

Any payment platform must address the desires of as many customers as possible, so companies should consider customer service when choosing a merchant account manager. Established companies that feel they may be lagging in customer service should conduct a payment processing review can help a company determine areas in which it needs to improves its customer service.  

---Original reading: patriciaweberconsulting.com

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2011 Consumer Survey: Global Consumer Shopping Habits