How Social Media, Mobile and Video Influence Apparel Purchases

How Social Media, Mobile and Video Influence Apparel Purchases

How far we have come when shopping digitally. I recall way back in the day (1999) when I decided to give the online world a second chance. (My first stint was in 1996 when I worked on the Grammy Awards website and we had to build for 14.4 modems!) There were so many limitations that I decided there were more options in print publishing. Crazy talk, I know!

Fast forward to 1999 when I jumped right back into the digital world and worked for USWeb/CKS, one of the big three ecommerce agencies. It was here that I had the opportunity to work on the first ecommerce site for Saks Fifth Avenue. The best part? Testing the site in order to make sure all orders were fulfilled. Oh yeah…I loved receiving those Manolo’s in the mail. Sadly, they had to be returned…

It was such an exciting time. The .com world was the only place to be. It was where the cool kids were working, playing, innovating, strategizing. Everything was new. Everything was a test. There were no rights or wrongs. You tried things out without knowing if the consumer would bite. It was the beginning of a new era…for those who liked to shop!

I recall having to think about the psychological behavior of shopping. After all, persuading consumers to look online instead of going into the stores was a big ask at the time. Sure, it was more convenient to shop from home. However, not being able to see or feel the items was a big step. An even bigger step? Comfort in entering your credit card information without fear of it being stolen.

Fast forward to today, 2012. ECommerce? Do people even use the term anymore? Isn’t it obvious that you can shop from any and all websites? I mean, how stupid to have a site that offers products but from which you cannot purchase? (Now, imagine a 20 year old saying that previous sentence…)

Lets take another step forward into the world of social media, mobile and video. The article and infographic linked below highlights how 26% of shoppers are relying social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook as a media source when researching apparel purchases. I am certain Pinterest will join in soon enough, especially as this percentage rises.

It truly amazes me to see how much progress we have made in the world of shopping and how the behavior has been evolving with the adaption of new technology. I remember when there was the introduction of the “world wide web” and many thought it would be the end of socializing, that people would forget how to have relationships.

In fact, I do believe that we have become more social and maybe more “needy” for attention and approval than before. With ecommerce, you could “send to friend” for their opinion. Today, you can post an image on facebook, send a mobile attachment, create a twitpic, upload to Pinterest and get all of your friends and family to give their opinion.

I really wonder how much commission a salesperson makes today? After all, do we really need their opinion when we can tap anyone at anytime on any device?

See Infographic.