Once work is done, and dinner is eaten and cleared away, many people across Switzerland take to the internet to indulge in a little bit of online shopping. Now, a new study by Swiss Post and the University of Business Administration in Zurich (HWZ) has revealed what people in the alpine nation like to buy on the Interweb.
The university and postal service provider found that a whopping eight out of 10 people in Switzerland shop online every month. For 22 percent of people living in Swiss cities and cantons, a visit to electronic storefronts occurs at least once every week.
When asked why they chose to shop online, 80 percent of netizens said it was because of the flexibility that comes with a lack of opening hours. 79 percent appreciate the home delivery and returns system, while others enjoy the ease of finding products (74 percent), the greater range of products on offer (66) and the convenience compared to physical stores (54). Only 30 percent of respondents said lower prices were a draw.
In joint-first place, travel and event tickets were the most commonly bought items off the internet in Switzerland. In what will come as bad news for travel agencies in supermarkets, stores and shopping centres across the country, 65 percent of respondents said that they book their holidays completely online.
Books, music and films completed the podium places with 57 percent, and clothes (54) and multimedia and household appliances (45) rounded out the top five. In contrast to other European nations’ shopping habits, only 13 percent of those surveyed said that they have ordered groceries online.
In all, here are the 10 most commonly bought items online from Switzerland:
The survey found that once the items have been bought, most people prefer there to be ways to track their package on its journey to their homes. The speed of delivery was seen as less important, with those under 34 years old the biggest fans of next-day and speedy shipments.
When it comes to where people tend to shop online, the Swiss are very loyal to Swiss-based brands - although it may also have something to do with the costs of shipping from overseas. Migros subsidiary Digitec Galaxus was the most popular online store, with 32 percent of respondents visiting their storefront to buy items online. Amazon (25 percent), Zalando (20), and Switzerland’s own Ricardo.ch (15) and Microspot (12) made up the top five.
Finally, the survey found that the Swiss are still fans of paying by bank card and the good old-fashioned invoice, with 75 and 71 percent reporting that they used the payment methods online respectively. A new development is the rise of Twint, with 52 percent of people now saying they used the app on their mobile phones - making it the third most popular payment method online.