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2010-01-19
First Bulgarian Gemius e-commerce study
Nearly all Bulgarian internet users are aware of the possibility of online purchasing; 73% has a positive attitude towards both online and offline shopping. Furthermore, 50% of web users in Bulgaria who know about the possibility of e-buying claim that shopping online takes less time than the traditional method, nonetheless almost the same proportion considers it risky.
This and other information on the state of the Bulgarian e-commerce market is published in the report entitled: “E-commerce 2009: trends and attitudes. Research into Bulgarian internet users” based on a study conducted by Gemius in partnership with dir.bg, Economedia and Neogen. The study shows that the greatest share of Bulgarian internet users perform online purchases several times a year (34%), while one in five respondents shops on the web about once a month. Yet, as much as 21% of e-shoppers have bought something on the web only once – this group however may include many respondents for whom online shopping is a novelty as they started buying online within the last six months.
As mentioned above, the opinion of Bulgarian e-clients about online shopping is not clear: almost the same number (half of all e-shoppers) perceives e-purchasing as taking less time than offline buying and, at the same time, is aware of the risks that it brings. One in three Bulgarian online customers claims that it is cheaper than buying in offline shops. This may point to a presupposition that Bulgarian web shoppers appreciate the advantages that the web purchasing process offers them, however, a significant number are cautious when enjoying the possibilities of e-commerce.
According to the Gemius study, the most important concern of Bulgarian web buyers when shopping online is buying products of the highest quality (indicated by 41% of respondents). Spending time in a pleasant way and spending as little time as possible while doing this are of slightly less importance for respondents. Surprisingly, saving money is indicated as most vital by only 13% of internet shoppers which is rather optimistic regarding the financial situation of Bulgarians, who seem to give priority to the quality of the product and the comfort of making a purchase over economising.
When looking for a product, over half of all e-clients typically type the name of a product into a search engine. The second most popular choice (22%) is to look through the offers of already known stores. As for price comparison engines, although the awareness of the existence of such tools is widespread (over ¾ of internet shoppers know what they are), only 7% begin the search of a product by using them.
Bidding or buying?As for the place of e-shopping, online stores are visibly more popular among Bulgarian web clients than online auctions – as much as 83% of e-clients have bought something there, as compared to 30% who declare that they have bought something on online auctions. The most popular online stores according to the outcomes of the study are get.bg, Amazon and eBay. Although eBay is an online auction, its presence among e-shops stems from the fact that some respondents do not distinguish between online stores and bidding websites. This is most probably due to the fact that the delineation is not very clear since e-shops offer their products also on online auctions. At the same time, eBay is the most popular online auction indicated by respondents (Aukro and Amazon follow in terms of popularity).
In the competition between e-stores and e-auctions, the declared main advantages of online stores are the higher security of product delivery and the correspondence between the goods ordered and received. The unanimous leaders among products bought by the largest share of internet users in online stores are: books, music and films (49%), followed by train, bus and plane tickets (31%).
The discussed report also provides insight into the socio-demographic data of respondents who took part in the research project. The data describing the internet users under study show a slight predominance of men above women (ratio 53%-47%). The age group with the greatest share of respondents are 25-35 year-olds. Visibly more internet shoppers, compared to those who choose not to purchase on the web, have been using the web for a longer time (that is, those who use the internet for more than 5 years – ratio: 74% - 42%). This shows that online shoppers are heavy internet users. This is undoubtedly supported by the outcome related to the frequency of web use: as much as 74% of online buyers use the internet daily or almost every day. Slightly less than 50% of all respondents live in Sofia and 24% earn over 1,000 BGN per month.
Outlook for a bright future?It may be presumed that in the future online shopping in Bulgaria will experience rapid growth – this stems from the fact that 50% of respondents declare that they will shop online more often than previously, while 33% want to shop at a similar level as before. Three factors that may encourage more frequent shopping are: special offers, greater choice and lower prices. As Monika Lasota, International Business Development Manager at Gemius comments: “The Bulgarian e-commerce market shows significant potential for growth. Many internet users are eager to purchase online; however, the market needs to create a comfortable environment for them to do so. Presently, the main task for e-commerce players is building consumer trust with regards to e-shopping – especially the security of credit card payments and delivery. Furthermore, the market may still increase by a number of new e-commerce entities – users seem to be not fully satisfied with the offer of the Bulgarian market and they often choose to shop in foreign online stores.”
The above-mentioned results are included in the report based on the outcomes of the e-commerce study which was conducted by Gemius for the first time in Bulgaria. The study is part of a research project covering more than 10 European markets in Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of the research, carried out in partnership with dir.bg, Economedia and Neogen, was to identify the attitudes and usage preferences of Bulgarian internet users regarding online shopping in e-shops and on e-auctions. The full version of the report from the study is already available from Gemius.
Download the complete version of the press release in the Word format
Contact:
Vesselin Angelov- vesselin.angelov@gemius.com
Press contact:
Grażyna Jakubowska, PR Specialist - grazyna.jakubowska@gemius.com