The digital revolution may well be upon us, but health and fitness consumers buying wearable tech still prefer to make their purchase in-store than from the company’s website, according to new research from Nielsen.
Results from the February Nielsen Health and Wellness survey of 471 American consumers were combined with findings from the firm’s Connected Life Report to paint a picture of the current relationship between consumers and wearable tech.
The report confirmed the rise of wearable tech, with smartphone apps proving particularly popular for keeping track of wellbeing. In January 2014, 45.8 million US smartphone owners used a health and fitness app – an 18 per cent increase from 39 million users during January 2013.
But while the product market is becoming increasingly technology-focused, traditional methods for purchasing and decision-making remain surprisingly popular.
37 per cent of fitness bands sold were bought by consumers in-store, compared with 33 per cent online from the brand’s website, with Nielsen noting that: ”manufacturers of fitness bands in particular should take note of the sway that a hands-on experience can provide.”
And although approximately half of fitness band and health device consumers say they search for information online before making a purchase, the study found that only 19 percent of consumers said blogs and social media sites influence their healthy product choices, and only 17 percent were influenced by brand or company websites.
By contrast, 36 per cent of fitness band owners and 25 per cent of mHealth device owners said they took recommendations from family and friends when making a purchase.
The research shows that although the wearable tech market is currently still quite small – 70 per cent of American consumers are aware of wearable devices, but only 15 per cent are currently using them – its customers are highly invested in the products.
Once purchased, fitness band owners say they use their devices often. Around two-thirds (66 per cent) use their device daily, with 29 per cent using their device several times a day. Top activities among fitness band owners include tracking mileage and calories burned (62 per cent of fitness band owners) and tracking overall activity (61 per cent).
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