Image-sharing sites such as Pinterest are inspiring purchases, particularly from smaller retailers, finds Bizrate.com survey; 25% of those who are aware of image-sharing sites have made a purchase through them

Cindy Allen

LOS ANGELES , July 17, 2012 (press release) – Nearly 1 in 5 online shoppers claim that their recent purchase made after seeing the image on Pinterest was at Etsy.com, according to the latest study from the Bizrate Insights Image Sharing and Shopping Series. Branded stores and small boutiques came in at a close second with 13% and 12% completing their purchases at the aforementioned, respectively.

"Our research among online buyers shows that image sharing sites have inspired purchases, a trend that will likely grow as more categories/images/brands/retailers become available on sites such as Pinterest" remarks Hayley Silver, Vice President, Bizrate Insights. "Smaller retailers appear to be leading the charge on sites such as Pinterest, as exemplified by their ability to ignite a passionate base of supporters to gain sales through grassroots efforts. Therefore it is not surprising that today these retailers are in the spotlight. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic changes as larger retail brands begin to emulate or improve upon customer engagement in the new medium."

The study also takes a look at the browsing versus buying behavior on the popular social image sharing site as well as categories driving interest and engagement. The second series adds deeper insight to the first consumer pulse which found that 25% of those aware of image sharing sites, such as Pinterest, have made a purchase through them. View both reports at: Bizrate Insights Image Sharing and Shopping Series.

About the Study
The Bizrate Insights Social Image Sharing and Online Shopping Series is a set of surveys conducted via the Bizrate Insights survey platform and offered to online buyers immediately after purchasing from the Bizrate Insights Network of over 5,000 ecommerce retailers in the US and Canada. Data from this study was collected from 20,362 online buyers from May 8-May 30, 2012.

For over 12 years, Bizrate Insights has helped retailers listen to their customers in a way that is fast and measurable, resulting in insights, action, conversation, and customer loyalty. The Bizrate Insights customer feedback and ratings platform allows retailers to collect seller ratings directly from verified customers. Standard ratings are published across the leading comparison shopping site, Bizrate.com, and syndicated across the web's largest search engines to help drive conversion and traffic. Collecting over 16 million surveys annually, Bizrate Insights is one of the largest sources of consumer-generated review content in the world, delivering actionable insights and valuable shopper data to key decision makers in e-commerce.

Visit http://bizrateinsights.com to learn more about our FREE and paid buyer and site abandonment survey and reporting products.

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