Brits need ‘likes’ before they buy – with 60% of the nation crowd-sourcing opinion before purchasing
A study has revealed that having a group of six stylish friends to call upon via instant messages and social media to ‘like’ their choices is key to making the right fashion purchases. Research by social shopping site Shopa.com has shown that women need an average of two ‘likes’ from friends on instant messages and social media before they take an item to the till. Men are now following the female lead too, with guys needing four ‘likes’ before they buy.
With the latest figures from Ofcom showing 1.2 billion “selfies” were taken in the UK last year, one in seven (15%) Brits are now even sharing images direct from the fitting room to canvas opinion, with one third (35%) of 13 year olds even following suit. 28 year olds have been deemed the most active social sharers.
This has resulted in one in three (28%) Brits spending over two hours choosing an outfit on the high street while we wait for a friend’s yes or no’s. Two in five (43%) Brits even confessed to binning a previously purchased outfit that got under ten likes on Facebook and Instagram.
Peer pressure in a relationship comes in the form of the opposite half with women wearing the fashion trousers in British households. A quarter (25%) of the nation’s men have admitted to changing their fashion style to fit in with their partner’s wishes.
A third (38%) of women polled even admitted to throwing away their partner’s fashion faux pas into the bin without them knowing and one in ten (11%) took it one stage further, by putting them in the wrong wash on purpose. 10% even said they feign ‘accidentally’ ruining them.
The study of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by Shopa.com, a new app and website, where users can discover, buy and share products they love. It gives users a reward – worth 5 per cent of the product’s price – each time a friend or follower buys a product they’ve recommended. Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, behavioural psychologist said, “These results are unsurprising as, although online shopping is becoming increasingly popular, many of us still rely on our friends’ approval when purchasing new clothes or accessories.
“The ease of being able to share a visual representation of the look or style we’re trying to achieve makes it not only easier to reach out for validation, but indeed it also fits in with the norms of social networking; where acceptance of our choices is actively sought out.”
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