I Report Main Findings: 1st Quarter 2014

March recorded 19% increase from last year

‘Cosmetics’ are stabilized in the third place of the online purchases

Consumers aged 35 and over are making more expensive purchases

Consumers stabilize preference for larger e-shops

The results of the first quarter of 2014 of the subscription tool for measuring and analyzing online shopping in Cyprus - the I Report – were announced today by Evresis Research and Interactive Marketing Services Company, ImarComms.

The I Report tracked the online behavior of the Cypriot consumer for the first quarter of 2014 with March recording the highest buying traffic of the quarter with 55.9%, recording an impressive increase in comparison to the corresponding quarter of 2013, where the same month recorded the lowest buying traffic with 36.6%. The I Report recorded January as the second month of online purchases with 46.4% and February as the third with 45.8%.

Overall, online purchases recorded an increase from the corresponding quarter of 2013 with 1.5%, reaching 32.8% from 31.3 % of the first quarter of 2013.

The I Report recorded a constant increase in the use of Mobile Phone for conducting online purchases from 18.4% of the previous quarter to 20.9% for both sexes, with consumers aging 35-44 making the most use. Also, increase was recorded in purchases made via Tablet from 9.5% to 11%. The 87.5% of online purchases was made from home and the 10.7% from the office.

"The results of the first quarter of 2014 show a steady increase of online purchases with more activity from older audiences as well", said Nicholas Nicholaou, Director of Evresis.

Concerning the categories and types of products purchased online, the I Report recorded:

• As first, the Clothing’ category ‘with 40.9% and a decrease of 5.6%, with Office Clothing reduced to 55.9% and Sportswear rising to 68.1%

• As second, the ‘Flight Tickets ‘category with 17.7% and an increase of 4.3%

• As third, the Cosmetics’ category ‘with 17.4% and a decrease of 1.3%

• As fourth, the ‘Home items category’ with 14.5% and a rise of 0.3%

Regarding the the online shops from where the purchases were made, the I Report recorded:

• Ebay remaining as first with 59.7% and a slight rise of 0.4%

• Followed by Amazon as second with 19.4% and a decrease of 9.6%

• As third, Asos with 15.1% and 1.9% decrease

• Strawberrynet following as the fourth with 7.1% and 0.4% increase

• As fifth, Cyprus Airways with 6.2 % and an increase of 0.4 %

"The I Report recorded a healthy rise for the online purchases with the largest categories of goods and services being stabilized absorbing the largest market share with specific e-shops leading each category and gaining loyal customers", said Pericles Ellinas, CEO of ImarComms.