The thirty stages of British online shopping

'It can be a long time between seeing something we like and actually deciding to buy it'

For 18 per cent of people surveyed, a celebrity endorsement immediately makes an item feel more luxurious (Getty)

Britons work their way through as many as 29 different stages before finally purchasing an item of clothing online, a survey has found.

A poll of 2,000 adults revealed the process of finding something you like and then buying it, involves an hour and 20 minutes of mulling things over and getting the opinions of at least two other people.

Shoppers will also watch videos of celebrities or models wearing the items to see how it looks in real life before deciding whether or not to buy something.

While men are just as thorough with their shopping research, women are twice as likely to screenshot a picture of themselves in an outfit to friends, while one in 10 will send a video of themselves to a girlfriend for approval, the poll found.

“When we are shopping and parting with our hard-earned money, it can be a long time between seeing something we like and actually deciding to buy it," said Mark Blair of Brightcove which commissioned the research which also found one in six shoppers are more likely to buy something if they can watch a video of it being worn or used.

“It’s often not as simple as just walking into a shop or going on to a website and buying the first thing you see. Technology has changed the way we shop and thanks to video and social media, it’s now easier than ever before to get the opinions of others or see clothes and accessories captured in ways other than the still images we were once used to. Video allows us to find out even more about a product before we buy it, meaning we can be completely sure that it is right for us.”

The first key stage of buying a new outfit is checking the website in question offers free delivery, the poll found. Buyers will then go on to surf several other sites before reading relevant reviews.

Around 34 per cent of respondents said they will then hunt for money-off vouchers, in a bid to save.

Three in 10 shoppers will continue to compare their in-basket items with other purchases, while 22 per cent will add items to wish-lists and the same percentage will make the effort to go in-store to try clothes on.

Other common shopping stages include adding the same item but in a variation of sizes and colours to the basket, asking colleagues what they think and emailing partners for an opinion.

A fifth of shoppers will even check their bank balance before hitting the “buy” button.

The study found for 18 per cent, a celebrity endorsement immediately makes an item feel more luxurious.

Thirteen per cent expect to see a video of a product before buying it, and 23 per cent claim the production of the video definitely influences their decision to purchase.

The 29 stages of shopping, in order of most to least common:

1. Check for free delivery
2. Surf several websites looking for suitable items
3. Look at reviews
4. Find money off vouchers
5. Put the item in your basket and leave it there
6. Compare with other items
7. Add items to your wish-list
8. Go to a shop to try the item on once you’ve seen it online
9. Order an item and decide you don’t like it
10. Put everything you like in your basket then delete the ones you can’t afford
11. Take a couple of items out of basket
12. Indulge in mindless browsing
13. Look at your bank balance
14. Buy two different sizes/two different styles and send back the ones you don't like
15. Put lots of items in the basket
16. Look for inspiration from Instagram stories / Snapchat videos
17. Add the same item but in different sizes / colours into your basket before deciding which one to pick
18. Send pictures or videos of you in the clothes to your friends for their advice
19. Ask colleagues what they think
20. Email your partner to ask them what they think
21. Screen-shot an outfit and send to a friend / WhatsApp group to review
22. Keep an item and hope you come to like it in the future
23. Twist your computer screen around to show colleagues the item you like
24. Watch fashion inspired YouTube videos
25. Look at sizes and flick between two sizes because you don’t want splash out on both
26. Email friends or relatives a link to it to see what they think
27. Click on videos to watch what the product really is like
28. Order your chosen item every time you shop rather than changing your mind
29. Look at the store’s Instagram page to see lifestyle image using item, so you can envisage it

SWNS