NEWS24 April 2015

Smart home purchases ‘deeply considered’

UK — Eight in 10 consumers are interested in buying a smart tech product for the home, but the purchase journey can take up to three months, according to new research.

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The Time for Tech research, by Time Inc. UK, reveals people’s relationship with tech and their purchase journey across five key categories. According to the findings, 74% of consumers take up to one month to decide which product to buy, and a further 17% take between one and three months.

Partners were more included in the purchase journey for a smart home product ( 32%) than for other technology ( 22%). Post-purchase, 54% continue to research products, compared to an average of 36% for other categories.

“Smart tech can make people’s lives easier and safer, so why is this purchase more considered? It’s having one more thing to learn, one more thing that can go wrong, one more area of complexity in their lives,” said Evan Kypreos, editor of TrustedReviews. “Consumers need to be as comfortable with smart tech in their homes as they are with their tablet for it to become a must-buy product.”