When online shopping becomes more of a norm, it’s crucial that everyone feels safe when making an online purchase.
07 December 2020
A clear majority of Swedes are planning on continuing to shop online after the pandemic has ended. Two out of three participants, or 66%, of the respondents in the survey plan on buying groceries online to a higher or similar extent as they do today. However, the fear of being hacked has stopped 29% of the participants (aged 50+) making an online purchase at least once in the last year. Despite this fear, the number of people who shop online, aged 50+, is increasing dramatically, according to the survey Security Barometer from Sifo and TietoEVRY.
There is no doubt that the pandemic has fueled online retail, and we’re seeing that this phenomenon will extend into this year’s Christmas shopping season. The physical stores will have to work very hard at creating an even better customer experience if they want their consumers to return to their stores when things eventually go back to normal, as the customers are growing more and more accustomed to making purchases online, says Oskar Ehrnström, Security Expert at TietoEVRY.
In general, e-commerce and online retailers are seeing their business boom as a result of the pandemic, with Swedes planning on continuing to shop online to a similar or higher extent even after the pandemic has ended. Roughly a quarter of the respondents (76%) plan on purchasing home electronics, and sports and leisure articles online to a higher or similar extent as they do today. Two out of three (66%) plan to continue to buy their groceries online to a higher or similar extent as they do today. Interestingly, the survey also shows that four out of ten (42%) of the respondents aged 65+ are concerned about the safety of their personal information when they’re shopping online. Amongst the 50+ age group, close to a third (29%) of the respondents claim they have refrained from making an online purchase out of fear of becoming hacked.
When online shopping becomes more of a norm, it’s crucial that everyone feels safe when making an online purchase. Generally, the risks aren’t connected to making purchases with well-established online retailers; the risks are generally more connected to smaller retailers and fraud. The safety standard with the well-established online retailers is generally very good, but many of them could do a better job at making their customers feel as safe as they should feel, says Oskar Ehrnström.
Since the start of the pandemic, the percentage of people who shop online has increased from 70% to today’s figure of 77%, according to Postnords survey e-barometern. Notably, it is the 50+ age group that has changed its behavior the most, moving from purchasing things in a physical store to making more and more purchases online. The 65+ age group most strongly expresses a desire to go back to what used to be their normal: making purchases in a physical store.