For brands and retailers in the home improvement sector, ecommerce was not an option in the initial phase of digital commerce, but improving technology and shifting consumer behaviors are changing that, according to a new eMarketer report, “Home Improvement: The Digital Tool Kit Inspires Do-It-Yourselfers.”
Digital transactions for home improvement products remain rare, making up a tiny portion of the whole—albeit one that is growing rapidly. But digital channels play an important role in the research, planning and shopping phases of home improvement—wherever and however a final sale occurs. As in almost every vertical, the path to purchase is increasingly an amalgam of digital and real-world experiences.
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Over one-third of homeowners start their home improvement projects online, according to Zillow, a real estate website. In its winter 2013 survey