GfK: Increased importance for internet and technology in Romanians’ buying decisions

Internet penetration in Romania increased constantly during the last couple years, reaching 53% at national level an at 63% in urban areas among people aged over 15 years old, in April this year. In the same time, Romanians’ appetite for tablets and smartphones continues to grow; sales went up constantly during last couple years and smartphones represented 25% of the mobile phones market in 2012. In the same time, the number of tablets sold in 2012 increased five times compare to 2011.

These developments influence not only consumers’ lifestyle, but also their buying habits, as the internet is now the main channel used to make a buying decision.

According to a study made by GfK Romania, 70% of subjects said that internet became a very useful buying tool while 44% mentioned that social networks became as important as other info sources to make the best product choices.

When it comes of smartphones, those are used to compare prices (44%), to look for info or reviews (42%) and to localize a store (42%), but also for checking the availability of a product (31%) or scan QR codes (22%).