An Accenture research report highlighted the issue of ‘information overload’, with 76% of consumers in India feeling inundated by “too much choice” and 74% saying they are bombarded by advertising, resulting in 88% abandoning purchases in the last three months of 2023. The Accenture research report “The Empowered Consumer” offered fresh insights into consumers’ decision-making experiences across the retail, travel, and consumer goods industries. The report is based on a survey of 19,000 consumers across 12 countries, including India.
The research also found that most people (67%) in India see no improvement or even see an increase in the time and effort required to make a purchase decision. This is comprised of the 40% who think it has got harder and 28% who see no change. 33% think it takes less time and effort.
Looking across categories, the research also points to the challenges that consumers experience when trying to make purchase decisions. These are not confined to big-ticket items. For example, buying snacks is harder than buying the rest of the weekly groceries; buying a moisturiser is on par with buying a washing machine; choosing to buy probiotics is harder than selecting a loan, and buying any type of beverage is as challenging as booking travel.
Vineet R Ahuja, Managing Director and Lead – Strategy & Consulting, Accenture in India said, “Our survey shows that Indian shoppers are experiencing greater ‘decision stress’ at every stage of the bu.
