Observed Signal · Sep 18, 2026 · Research Release · Source: Adzine · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Attribution Remains Difficult: First Visit Rarely Leads to Purchase
A new European Shopping Trends Report by RTB House reveals that only 27% of European consumers make a purchase on their first website visit. Half require two to three visits, and 19% need four to five visits. The study, conducted by Censuswide with 4,500 respondents across nine countries, shows that 81% compare multiple brands before buying and 75% visit more than one retailer website. Reasons for abandoning initial visits include price comparison (28%), reading reviews (20%), and seeking promotions (17%). Additionally, 22% of shoppers research online but purchase in physical stores, complicating attribution. AI-based product discovery is emerging, with 21% using services like ChatGPT or Gemini. RTB House argues for longer-term retargeting, while acknowledging that the study measures behavior, not causal effects of retargeting.
Provides consumer behavior insights relevant to attribution and retargeting strategies, but is a standard research report.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Only 27% of European consumers purchase on their first website visit.
- 81% of respondents consider more than one brand before making a purchase.
- 22% of shoppers research online but complete purchases in physical stores.
- 21% discover new brands or products via AI services such as ChatGPT or Gemini.
- RTB House's European Shopping Trends Report surveyed 4,500 consumers across nine countries.
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