Germans Rely on Reviews for Getting their Purchases Right

According to a survey from Bitkom (association of the German information and telecommunications industry) conducted in October 2019 with more than 1,000 German participants, over 50% of the online shoppers use reviews as part of the buying decision process. People want to think through their purchases before they make them.
After reviews, people use price comparison, and thirdly people ask friends or relations that already bought the product of interest, for their experiences.

The Bitkom research shows that especially online shoppers aged between 16 and 29 rely on reviews. So, the younger generations prefer checking how others value the item, they would like to purchase, before making a buying decision. Undoubtedly, honest opinions have a huge impact on whether one buys a good in the end or not.

Head of Trust & Security at Bitkom, Rebekka Weiß, emphasizes how important reviews can be to gain the trust of customers: “Those who receive a large number of good independent ratings can use it to demonstrate the quality of their goods or services, making them attractive to future customers.”

The success of Amazon or Booking.com showcases the positive effects of reviews. Who didn’t already use reviews at least a few times to simplify a purchase decision? Reading about the experiences of others enables us to get a clearer opinion in order to prevent mispurchases.

If you see the need for expert and user reviews, Icecat can be of assistance:

Karin Donaubauer