The Hindu Business Line : `Asians are world's biggest shopaholics'

Results from two international ACNielsen surveys about consumers' attitudes towards shopping have confirmed that the world's biggest shopaholics are to be found in Asia.

According to a recent ACNielsen global online survey conducted among over 22,000 Internet users in 42 countries, one in four consumers shop `as a form of entertainment' once a month, while in Asia, one in four consumers view shopping as `something to do' once a week.

Thirty two per cent of Indians go shopping once a month where as 22 per cent of them indulge in it once a week.

According to the ACNielsen survey, seven of the top 10 nations who shop once a week simply to amuse themselveshail from Asia.

"With the increase in the sheer number of malls and modern format stores shopping has almost become a national pastime in our country especially in the cities," said Mr Sarang Panchal, Executive Director, Customised Research, ACNielsen South Asia.

Clothes shopping vs grocery shopping are two very different experiences for shoppers!

We've heard the term "retail therapy" but for some countries it has really become part of their whole shopping experience.

Russians, Japanese, Hungarians and Swedes say they find clothes shopping "therapeutic" according to the ACNielsen online survey. However, once again, it's the booming economies of India and China that are embracing clothes shopping with unbridled enthusiasm.

A third of Chinese consumers and one-fifth of Indians say clothes shopping are their favourite things to do, according to the survey. Only one European country made it into the global top 10 ranking for clothes shopping being the "favourite" thing to do - the trend-setting Italians who lead the fashion shopping pack in this region.

Necessary chore

When it comes to grocery shopping however, it's another story.

Seventy one per cent of Indian consumers describe grocery shopping as a necessary chore, compared to 46 per cent who said that clothes shopping were a necessary chore.

More Stories on : Marketing Research | Consumerism | Entertainment & Leisure

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page