Shopping locally, from .ie domains, can help consumers avoid scams, with Black Friday fast approaching.
Less than half (45%) of Irish consumers are concerned about online safety when making purchases on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to .ie, the national registry for domain names.
Price is the top priority when online shopping for nine in 10 people, while more than three-quarters (79%) said quality of product/service is an important consideration, followed by range of choice.
Online reviews are the most powerful resource for product and purchase research, with 74% stating that they check reviews for a product when researching a potential purchase.
More than half (53%) ask for recommendations from family and friends before making a purchase, and 28% research potential purchases on social media.
One in two (48%) likely to make an impulse buy on Black Friday, with almost three in four 18-24 year-olds likely to make an impulse buy
The findings come as 1.5m or 36% of Irish consumers prepare to make Black Friday purchases, up from 34% in 2023.
Less than half of respondents ranked security among the top three priorities they look for when shopping on a website or e-commerce channel.
“It’s a surprise but not entirely unexpected to see that most Irish shoppers would prioritise price over security features when shopping online," said David Curtin, CEO of .ie.
"The shopping frenzy that is Black Friday has increased significantly over the last number of years and that is set to remain the case in 2024.
"While we can often find ourselves getting excited about the prospect of bagging a bargain, we urge shoppers to approach online offers with a measure of caution.
"Stay alert - if it seems too good to be true then it very likely is. By shopping on a .ie domain, shoppers can enjoy peace of mind knowing they are protected by the robust security measures we implement.
".ie domains have considerably lower levels of cyber threats detected compared with international top level domains including .com, .eu and .uk.
"By shopping local online, not only are Irish shoppers safeguarding their personal information, but they are supporting Irish businesses and the local economy this festive season”.
Almost two in three respondents are concerned about identity theft and phishing scams, and the over-55s age group is most concerned about potential scams such as data breaches, weak passwords and hacking and invasive targeted advertising.
Almost a quarter (23%) have been a victim of online fraud, and two-thirds of them have incurred financial loss as a result. A further third of respondents who have been victim to online fraud said they had lost trust in online shopping as a result.
More than a third (36%) of respondents aged 55+ believe that shopping on their mobile device is less secure than a laptop or desktop computer as they think they are more vulnerable to theft, hacking and security lapses.
Conversely, a quarter of consumers aged 18-24 believe shopping on a mobile device is more secure than a desktop as trusted app verification, frequent security updates and biometric payment options enhance security perceptions.
Respondents stated that a more streamlined payment process is available on mobile while desktop purchases can be more cumbersome.
Interestingly, mobile users find their device easier to navigate which enhances their ability to spot suspicious activity due to familiarity with app layouts.
(Pic: Getty Images)
