Online trade in construction materials: features of consumer behavior

A study conducted by the company "Socium" and devoted to the peculiarities of consumer behavior in the market of construction and finishing materials, especially on the Internet, has been published. The study was conducted in several major cities, including Samara, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don and other cities. Research results have shown that today 3% of consumers buy goods in online stores, although more than 60% of them visit regular stores before placing an order online to compare prices, get acquainted with the product" live", get advice from a specialist seller, etc.

According to analysts, the construction and finishing materials market is growing by 20-25% annually. This growth is also directly reflected in online commerce: according to the LiveInternet website, the growth in demand for construction and finishing materials online in 2012 was more than 25%, and for services-20%. The construction materials e-commerce market is growing and actively developing. Over the past year, competition has increased by an average of 2 times, and in some regions-by more than 3 times.

The main materials that are most actively used by online retail are plaster, tile glue, self-leveling floors, bricks, drywall, etc.

The study revealed the following features of consumer behavior::

• Before buying construction and finishing materials online, visitors to online stores usually carefully study the product range and features — the selection process is often delayed for 14-16 days.
• Most consumers visit several regular stores before purchasing materials online.
• Ordering goods in an online store is most often done by phone, less often-by email, and even less often-using the "shopping cart" built into the site.
• Contextual advertising on the Internet, which is often found in the chain of user interactions with the site, directly affects the behavior of customers, helps them find the necessary product, and helps the seller make a sale.
• The most important selection criteria for a user of an online building materials store are the price and delivery features.