The FINANCIAL — When it comes to tech shopping, the many US consumers are swayed by looks. A recent GfK study has discovered that 30% of US consumers believe that “the look and style of a product is very important in deciding which to buy.”
In anticipation of a number of new tech gadgets launching this summer, GfK has released findings from interviews with over 26,000 Internet users in 22 countries.
Internationally, Turkey, Mexico and Brazil lead the way for concern about ”looks appeal,” with agreement scores of 49%, 48%, and 45% (respectively). In contrast, Sweden, Belgium, and Germany possess the highest percentage of consumers who reject style as a shopping factor. Sweden leads with 26% firmly disagreeing, followed by Belgium (22%) and Germany (20%).
Age Affects Attitudes
When it comes to age, US consumers display a clear pattern: As people grow older, concern about tech looks decreases. The 30 to 39 year olds had the highest score, with 42% in agreement that style is a purchase factor. They were closely followed by 15 to 19 year olds, who came in at 41%. With nearly identical scores, the 50 to 59 and 60 to 69 groups charted 15% and 18%, respectively, in agreement, but a notable 21% and 32% in disagreement with the importance of looks and style.
Men and Women Share Sentiments
US men and women, though differing slightly, generally have the same attitudes when it comes to tech style. With 33% of US men and 28% of women, the study confirmed that many US consumers value style when shopping for tech products. Equal proportions of men and women reject this notion, with 14% of both men and women in disagreement.
