Good thymes
May, June and July are the most popular months for DIY purchases, according to our latest research on online shopping trends in DIY and gardening.
DIY shoppers make almost five times as many purchases in June compared to December, with April to August being the biggest spending months of the year.
The three things that DIY shoppers like to buy the most are nails, screws and adhesives. For 84% of those people surveyed, these were the items that proved the most popular – with three in five seeing themselves buying more of the same over the next 12 months. Hand tools and electrical and lighting products were also popular – with 57% saying they plan to buy even more electrical and lighting items in the next 12 months.
The average DIY shopper, who is 45 years old, more likely to be male and live in the suburbs, spends £50 online compared to £45 spent in-store per month.
With more than a quarter of shoppers preferring to shop online (rising to 36% in younger shoppers aged 18-35), the ease of comparing prices and having the item delivered are contributing factors to this changing behaviour. Above all else, offering a competitive price and having the items they want in stock are key to encouraging people to shop online more in the future.
The quality of the delivery experience plays an important role in getting customers to shop online. 28% of DIY shoppers are encouraged to shop more online if they are kept informed on the progress of their delivery. 71% are more confident when ordering online with tracking, and 64% would track every item they ordered if the service was available to them.
Gardening trends
With spring upon us, at 46% April and May are the most popular months for gardening shoppers to make their purchases, while December, at just 2%, is the least popular month to do so.
Plants, seeds and bulbs are the most commonly purchased gardening items, with the average gardening shopper spending £39 online compared to £34 spent in-store per month. Younger shoppers (25-34) spend twice as much online as older shoppers (55+) at £60 vs just £27 per month. The average gardening shopper is 49 years old, more likely to be female and live in the suburbs. Two in three of those that purchased garden products fell into the ABC1 category.
Once again, the delivery experience is key. Tracking is highly valued amongst gardening shoppers, with 64% being more confident to place an order online that they can track. In fact, 57% would track every order if the service was available.
For brands operating in the DIY and gardening sectors, it is important to understand the habits of these shoppers. From April through to July, DIY and gardening spend experiences a significant spike as shoppers look to spruce up their homes and gardens for summer.
