I Network, Therefore I Shop

Hardcore social networkers are more likely to visit retail Web sites for music, luxury goods, consumer electrics, and apparel, a study reports.
comScore, which measures Internet usage, said Monday more than 95 percent of “heavy” social networkers visited retail sites in August, compared to 80 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience. comScore defines heavy networkers as the top 20 percent of visitors, based on time spent on social networking sites.
Of 61.2 million unique visitors to apparel sites, 24.8 percent were considered big-time social networkers. Apparel and fashion sites that cater to young adults, such as Alloy and Abercrombie & Fitch, attracted a strong share of these networkers, comScore reported.
Thus, says comScore Chairman Chairman Gian Fulgoni: “Apparel retailers — especially those geared towards younger consumers — can benefit by considering the use of social networking sites as a marketing channel.”
The study, however, didn’t address whether hardcore social networkers are more likely to make online purchases than Internet wallflowers.