Pinterest Users Follow an Average of 9.3 Retail Companies on the Site

Jason Hahn | DM Confidential | June 6, 2012

According to the “2012 Social and Mobile Commerce Study,” a joint project from Shop.org, comScore and The Partnering Group, U.S. consumers using Pinterest follow more retail companies than they do on Facebook or Twitter.

The study found that Pinterest users follow an average of 9.3 retail companies on the visually driven social media site, compared with the 8.5 retailers Twitter users follow and the 6.9 retailers Facebook users follow. Thirty-eight percent of online consumers follow retailers via one or more social networking sites, according to the study.

A separate survey from Bizrate Insights found that 32 percent of online buyers in North America have purchased an item after seeing an image on a social image-sharing site such as Pinterest.

Meanwhile, a separate study from BlogHer found that 61 percent of respondents pointed to blogs as sources of recommendations that have influenced female social networking users to make a purchase, followed by 47 percent who pointed to Pinterest, 33 percent who pointed to Facebook and 31 percent who pointed to Twitter.

The Shopt.org study found that 70 percent of those who follow a retailer’s blog click through to the website, while 68 percent use YouTube to browse and research a retail company.

More than half, or 51 percent, of consumers say they follow a retailer to get information on deals and coupons, down from 58 percent last year. Meanwhile, 43 percent say they follow retailers for product information, while 36 percent want to post and read comments about merchandise or services. Thirty-four percent follow retailers via social media to get information about events, 31 percent do so to see current trends and ideas, 30 percent to see photos and videos, and 27 percent to see how-to’s and styling ideas, as well as expert opinions.

The study found that 33 percent of smartphone owners say they’ve shared their location with retailers, which is an important opportunity for retailers who can lure smartphone owners who may be within feet of their store. In-store shopping maps and customized shopping lists are among the ways retailers can better serve customers via location and smartphones, according to Jenniver Vlahavas, senior director at comScore.

Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (25 percent) to share their location with a retailer, according to the study. Meanwhile, 46 percent of those ages 18-34 say they have shared their location with a retailer, compared to 22 percent of those ages 35-54.

According to the study, 37 percent of smartphone owners who shop online say they user their smartphones to take photos of products, while 34 percent say they send photos of products they see to friends. A third of smartphone owners say they text/call their friends and family about specific products while shopping.

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