Buy-to-let
Total search volumes for home and garden grew by 15 per cent in the last three months compared to the same time last year, according to an online retail monitor.
The latest BRC-Google monitor also found that in the July to September period, search volumes on smartphones outpaced search volumes on tablets, with growth of 41 per cent compared with growth on tablets of 22 per cent.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson says technology is playing an increasingly significant part in all aspects of consumers’ lives.
“Possibly one of the biggest decisions a consumer will make, taking out a mortgage, is now heavily influenced by online research with our data showing that online mortgage searches correlate strongly with mortgage approvals.
“Given this trend, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing people take to the internet to decorate and furnish their homes as well as finding the funds to purchase them. Search volumes in the home and garden category have risen 15 per cent compared with the same period last year.
“This is likely due to an increasingly healthy housing market as sales in these categories tend to be directly impacted by house sales.
“It’s also interesting to note which devices customers are using to view which categories of product. Smaller items feature more significantly in the smartphone category while ‘beds’ top the list of searches across all devices. However, the further down rankings you go, the greater the mix of products.
“This suggests that consumers are becoming more and more comfortable searching for a wider variety of products on-the-go than has previously been the case.”
