As someone who's needed to have a new bathroom fitted for more years than I care to remember (and when I say 'needed' I don't mean because I'm bored with my old one, but that it's no longer functioning properly), it hit home when I learned this week that consumer confidence is currently delaying sales by up to six months. 

Yes. According to new statistics following a 'Webrooming vs Showrooming' study of 1,000 UK consumers, conducted by ecommerce agency PushON (www.pushon.co.uk) 24% of customers spend up to six months on research before making a considered purchase. 

Only six months? 

It appears that when looking to buy a luxury item, such as a new kitchen, 28% of consumers will typically spend up to a month properly researching the options available before making a decision. And 7% are even taking over six months - stating they need to be confident they have made a good purchasing decision. 

The research also found that people are now combining online and in-store shopping, with 79% saying they've found an expensive product online that they've liked, but have then gone in store to make the final purchase so they can see what the item looks like in reality. 

It also works the other way, with almost as many saying they've bought an expensive item online, once they've examined it in store. The research was carried out to highlight consumers' shopping preferences and learn how retailers need to improve the shopping experience to support customers right through to the point of sale. "It's clear from the research that consumers don't feel confident enough to make expensive purchasing decisions straight away and are taking a long time to research all their options to make a final choice that they know they'll be happy with," says PushON's Sam Rutley. "Several factors affect customer decisions... price, customer service, product quality, delivery options... 

Shoppers want to make sure they're getting the best deal for their money and it's up to retailers to close the purchasing gap by providing a truly omni-channel experience and engaging with shoppers on various channels to build better relationships. This way shoppers will have all the information they need to make an informed decision and then follow through with that purchase." While I agree with what Sam's saying, my issue is that there's simply too much choice! Perhaps my upcoming visit to KBB Birmingham will help narrow things down for me...

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs