Millions of shoppers* could abandon their carts this Amazon Prime Day. 10% of UK consumers are set to desert purchases when offered an overwhelming level of choice. That’s according to a new study conducted by customer engagement platform, Emarsys.
Overwhelming Prime Day statistics
The research explores the impact of “analysis paralysis” on consumer decision making. When UK shoppers feel overwhelmed with choice, 24% admit to ‘defaulting’ to their usual brand of choice. A further 17% revert to the cheapest option available.
Many marketplace sellers and brands are set to compete this Prime Day. Emarsys’ data also provides tips on how consumers would like brands to cut through the noise:
- 21% want brands to prioritise promotions they are personally interested in
- 15% want brands to only display products that they have previously bought
- 14% would like brands to offer less choice and have fewer products on sale
Conclusive findings from Prime Day
Kelsey Jones, Global Director of Product Marketing at Emarsys has commented. “Consumer choice isn’t a bad thing. In the busiest sales periods, it’s important that retailers don’t overwhelm their customers to the point of paralysis. Brands need to empower shoppers with the products, promotions, and information they want and need to make informed decisions. Beyond that point, they risk overloading them.
“While major sales events are a great opportunity to offer customers discounts on a wide range of products, retailers must focus on getting the right products in front of the right people. That requires a targeted, data-driven approach. For brands like Amazon, the mix of online deals and data gathered in-store (via Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go) creates a powerful targeting combination. Other brands should learn from this omnichannel approach. Those who are purely ecommerce must work even harder to anticipate their customer needs and personalise their experiences.
“Whether it’s Amazon Prime Day, the Jubilee, or even the Christmas sales, brands like Puma and Adidas Runtastic need to deliver highly targeted marketing and sales strategies rather than a barrage of potentially irrelevant options. It’s not about less choice. It’s about offering the right options.”
*25% of UK consumers plan to make a purchase on Amazon this Prime Day, representing 16.8m people. With 10% set to abandon their purchases in the face of choice overload, this could represent up to 1.6m individuals deserting their items.