Almost Half of Australians Want to Shop with Voice Commerce
New research from Salmat found that consumers in Australia are enthusiastic about shopping using voice commerce.
Despite voice technology being at an early stage in Australia, with just 1% of respondents currently owning a smart speaker, almost half (47%) could name at least one voice device…and (46%) are willing or excited to use an in-home voice assistant to interact with and shop from retailers.
57% Considering Purchase of In-Home Voice Assistant
Salmat also found that 57% of Australians would consider buying an “in-home voice assistant” such as a smart speaker in the future. Peter Nann, Salmat’s Senior Voice Experience Designer, was a guest on the Voicebot Podcast in November. He commented about the research findings:
As Australian customers are increasingly expecting convenience from brands, voice assistant technology will grow in popularity. With almost half of Australian consumers willing to try or excited to use an in-home voice assistant for shopping, it offers opportunities for local businesses to develop new voice-based customer experiences, services and initiatives, and create innovative marketing campaigns.
Google Assistant and Google Home launched in Australia in July and currently have the market to themselves. However, several Aussies have picked up Amazon Echo devices overseas and they will officially go on sale in the country in 2018.
Voice Commerce is Popular with Consumers, Retailers and Brands
The Salmat research findings are good news for Google, Amazon, other retailers and brands in Australia. It is an open question which monetization options will deliver value for the platforms and participants. However, early data suggests voice commerce may be the most assured and probably the biggest opportunity. CIRP found that Amazon Prime members ordered 10% more after purchasing an Echo device. A Walker Sands study found that 24% of “frequent online holiday shoppers” in the U.S. are already making purchases through voice assistants.
There is a school of thought that voice is great for re-ordering but not for initial purchase. This may be true today, but as companies become more deft at promoting their products by voice, you will see purchases grow quickly for all categories of products. Voice is convenient. Australians are showing an interest in trying voice commerce and Americans are already voting with their purchases.
When Voice Meets Impulse Buy: From Thought to Transaction in 22.6 seconds
