How Singaporeans' constant connectivity translates into bagging a bargain

It's unsurprising that Singaporeans are exceptionally good at shopping. With more high-end malls per capita than anywhere else in Asia, shopping is now a well-entrenched national past-time. But it's not just physical stores that enable this shopping addiction. The omnipresence of mobile technology and super-fast 4G mean that Singaporeans can also shop online wherever they are, at any time of day.

This constant connectivity is also having an effect on how people in Singapore make purchasing decisions. It's now easier than ever to check before you buy to make sure there is not a better deal elsewhere. Whereas before this involved traipsing around a mall, this information is now at our fingertips via smartphones, and many are taking advantage of the opportunity.

In fact, Connected Life, a new study from TNS, has shown that nine in ten shoppers (88%) in Singapore research products before deciding to buy them. Understandably, the more expensive the item, the more likely people are to research it beforehand. For example, 99% of Singaporeans research the car they would like to buy before they commit to the purchase.

What's interesting is that this effortless access to information means that consumers are now researching lower-priced products. Results showed that the majority of Singapore shoppers now adopt the considered, pre-planned approach previously reserved for high-ticket items, to buying cheaper, regular shopping basket staples.

Ever keen for a bargain, almost eight in ten (78%) shoppers say they do pre-purchase research for personal care products such as skincare, perfume, and cosmetics, and 66% for hygiene items such as deodorant and shower gel. Previously these categories used to be a prime area for impulse buying, but thanks to the ease of the internet, Singaporean shoppers are getting savvier about the products they chose and the rationale behind it.

And research is not just happening in the moment before the purchase. In Singapore almost half (47%) of shoppers have decided on purchasing a specific brand before they go into stores or begin shopping online. Only 12% were 'disrupted' while shopping, ultimately buying a different brand. Consumers now know what they want and are less susceptible to deals, no matter how good the price.

Yet despite this decline in impulse buys, there is still appetite for seeking out new products. So-called 'exploratory' buyers want to investigate the different brands available that meet their needs. This journey becoming more fun thanks to a rapidly improving online shopper experience and experiential bricks-and-mortar stores that both allow the consumer to enjoy their research process.

This mindset presents a real opportunity for brands, particularly in FMCG and other low-involvement product categories. These shoppers are easiest to influence, most likely to research online and are the highest spenders.

So what do these developments mean for brands and retailers? As consumers in Singapore adopt a more considered approach to their purchases, brand owners and retailers can provide the information – and incentives – they need to make up their minds.

Whether online or offline, businesses need to understand researching behaviours and ensure they are providing shoppers with relevant content that informs their purchase decisions. This means they must stop thinking in terms of advertisements and start becoming content providers that offer relevant information and offers at every stage of the shopper journey.