More U.S. shoppers bought magazine subscriptions online than any other product, according to a surprising survey from Pitney Bowes Inc., ahead of books and clothes.
Pitney Bowes Inc. surveyed 1,000 consumers online in the United States, and 3,000 more in the France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The Stamford-based company is readying a new service called Volly that will give consumers an online platform for paying bills, viewing catalogs, storing coupons and other functions.
Pitney Bowes noted the strong performance of magazines, without saying what percentage of subscribers were purchasing digital copies to view on tablets or other devices.
The most popular items bought online by U.S. shoppers, as ranked by percentage of respondents making a purchase, include:
- magazines, 55 percent;
- books, 52 percent;
- clothes, 51 percent;
- electronic and movies, 41 percent; and
- shoes, 38 percent.
Of the 18 product categories included in the survey, U.S. shoppers were least likely to purchase do-it-yourself products, with just 10 percent of those queried doing so.
Pitney Bowes said retailers should have systems to ensure seamless, cross-border shopping, communicate across multiple channels to include direct mail, call centers and online avenues, and make returns and customer service easy.
