eBay has high hopes for social shopping, according to research it has released this week. It predicts that social shopping, a purchase that involves online social intereaction with networks such as Facebook, will grow 44% by 2014.
The research by Conlumino says that the value of social shopping will grow to an estimated £3.3 billion in 2014. The reseacrch also found that 46% of online shoppers already use a social network when considering a purchase.
Petra Jung, Head of Mobile Shopping at eBay said: “Many shoppers, particularly women, want fun and inspiration as much as information when they shop, and social networks are a great way to seek out a friend’s advice, see other people’s style, and get ideas.”
“There’s a billion pound prize for UK retailers in using social to help customers make up their minds when they’re looking to buy something. Generating direct sales is part of the prize in social shopping but using peer-to-peer networks to influence purchasing decisions is the far bigger opportunity.”
