Russians Use Internet Every Day but not for Shopping: Report

The number of Russians who shop online every day has dropped from seven to two percent over the past four years, a poll conducted by the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) reveals, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

The pollster says 81% of Russians use the Internet on a regular basis but not all of them have skills and wish to learn how to shop online. Some like to try things on and thoroughly inspect them before making a purchase, which is hard to do at a pickup point or in a delivery guy’s presence, the poll revealed.

However, almost all young internet users (aged 16-29 years) place orders online regularly, says Artyom Sokolov, President of the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AITC).

“By the same token, these are not ‘everyday’ orders,” he noted, adding, “Actually, in my view, a person who buys things online every day is hard to imagine.”

Experts also say that Russians have taken a more balanced form of consumer behavior. In the past, they used to order things online on a daily basis but now people have a more responsible approach towards online shopping and the number of impulse purchases has been declining.

Another thing to note is that there is a group of people who purchase goods and services online so often they stop realizing it is actually online trade. It means that those polled could have forgotten to mention ordering taxis via mobile apps and using car sharing services.

Market participants are confident that, in fact, online trade is flourishing. The AITC expects Russia’s online trade to grow by 20% in 2018. Social media will be helpful as they have accumulated more than seven percent of online trade and the number may rise by 50%-80% within the next two years.