Being one of the country’s leading LED lighting companies, Wholesale LED Lights recently went where no-one has gone before and undertook an in-depth survey of its customers and their orders.
Between the 15th of April and the 15th of September 2016, we collected and collated data from 2,824 respondents and from 8,200 customer orders, to produce a report with wide-ranging and far-reaching implications for the UK lighting market as a whole.
The data was gathered in three main ways. The first took the form of an online survey, wherein customers posted responses to questions posed on the website. Secondly, people telephoning the company were invited by the customer service advisors to indicate their lighting preferences at the close of their conversation.
Lastly, those customers purchasing products in the company’s showroom were asked to indicate their preferences and provide information about their buying habits.
Consumer Gender And Age
The survey sought to reveal statistical and behavioural trends in the lighting market, and the initial questions were designed to ascertain details about customers’ age and gender.
It was found that, of the 1,605 people responding, 73.21% of the total is male and, at 26.60%, the greatest number is aged between 35 and 44. Please see the corresponding graphic for more comprehensive demographic details.
This is interesting, especially given the next question, which points to the buying behaviour amongst this particular demographic.
Preferred Method Of Purchasing
The shopping habits of men and women are quite different. Whereas men have historically valued straightforward shopping that allows them to research products prior to purchasing, women seek out a more socially interactive retail experience.
Thus, of the 8,200 orders analysed, 69.40% indicated that they had been carried out online and with no requirement for pre-purchase support. This finding appears to be in keeping with that of the earlier questions.
Professional Assistance Before Ordering
Later in the survey, customers were asked if they require professional assistance of any kind when ordering new lighting products. This speaks both to levels of consumer perception of the information supplied as accurate and to overall confidence in the product itself.
Of the 1,692 that responded, an enormous 73.17% majority indicated that they had felt no need to seek out advice or further information.
Reasons For Buying Lighting Products
It is important that a survey unearths the “why” and not just the “who”, so customers were asked their main reason for purchasing lighting products.
At 75.65%, more than three quarters of the 1,782 respondents signified the failure of a light fitting to be the most common cause.
Such purchasing behaviour is characteristic of this type of product, as it’s one that many people perceive to be a necessity, not a luxury.
Average Order Value
Customers’ motives for purchasing are closely linked to the amount of money they invest in a purchase, so 8,200 orders from the time period were analysed.
The analysis revealed that the highest number of purchases, with 28.88% of the total, fell within the £30 to £59.99 range.
Order Structure Based On Number Of Individual Products
As you will see from the graphic, with 910 or 50.25%, just over half of the 1,811 respondents declared that their normal lighting order comprises 1 or 2 products. This reinforces the idea that a practical rather than an aesthetics-led approach to purchasing lighting products is most prevalent.
Attitude Towards The Order Quantity
When questioned about the quantity of individual lighting products purchased per order, the vast majority of customers indicated that they buy the exact number they require at that time and no more.
This demonstrates that 86.12% of the 1,779 respondents are exhibiting an increasing level of confidence in the product’s reliability.
Major Criteria In The Purchasing Decision Of Lighting Products
Technical concerns were also uppermost in the minds of many of the customers who were asked which aspect of a general lighting product was most important in their decision to purchase it.
Of 1,645 respondents, 708 or 43.04% stated that matching its specifications to their individual requirements was the decisive factor.
At the opposite end of the scale however, energy-efficiency achieved just 2.07% of the vote.
Consumers View On The Most Valuable Advantage Of LED Lights
Interestingly, when consumers were asked specifically about their most highly-valued advantage of LED lighting, 51.24% of the 1,772 responding customers named its high energy-efficiency rating.
LED Influencing Features For First Time Buyers
When first-time buyers were quizzed about which they felt to be the most compelling advantage of LED lighting, they generated a similar majority.
Indeed, 54.08% of the 1,152 new customers who indicated a preference valued its reduced energy-consumption most highly.
These figures illustrate the ever-growing assurance in the energy-saving potential of LED lighting in comparison with that of its predecessor.
Preferred Colour Temperature
Although extremely important, consumers’ technical considerations weren’t given a higher billing than those concerning aesthetic preferences. When asked about their favourite colour temperature, 59.90% of the 1,761 named Warm White, which is renowned for its mellow, relaxing quality.
Where Is Most Interest Put In Lighting And Decorating
The above figure is perhaps not so surprising, given the fact that the greatest number of people considered their living room to be the most important room in the house, as far as lighting and décor are concerned.
Of the 1,812 that stated a preference, 30.41% ranked their living space most highly.
Preferred Colour Temperature Based On Household Areas
When asked which colour temperatures they favoured for which specific part of the home, Warm White accounted for the top spot in every room perceived to lend itself to relaxation.
It achieved the highest percentages in the living room, dining room and bedroom, with aggregate figures of 80.61% of an average 1,648 sample.
Cool White, on the other hand, garnered most of the votes for more functional spaces like the kitchen, bathroom and garden, with an overall average of 72.60% of an aggregated 1,586 sample.
Awareness Of Impending Ban On Halogen Lighting Products
The survey’s penultimate question produced what was perhaps its most startling result.
It asked customers if they were aware of the forthcoming ban of halogen spotlights in 2018.
Of the 1,235 customers that replied, just 5.59% or 69 people said they knew about it. That left a massive 94.41% admitting to no knowledge that the ban will soon be coming into effect!
Whilst consumer knowledge is quite comprehensive with regard to LED lighting products themselves, it appears that a gap exists when it comes to issues surrounding them.
The findings detailed here form just a small part of a much larger report, which is available to be read in its entirety today.
