Shoppers now research on screen
Not long ago, a shopper’s sources were limited: the packaging, a salesperson, a magazine review, a friend’s opinion. Today many people look for a video before they buy anything that costs real money or is unfamiliar. A short clip can answer the questions a product photo cannot: how big is it in someone’s hand, how loud is it, how does the lid actually close, does it look the same in daylight.
This article is about shopper behaviour and the way video influences what people choose. The technical side of buying through a website, including embedded clips and checkout, is a separate subject.
Three kinds of product video
Product demonstrations
A demonstration shows an item doing its job. Product demonstrations are valued because they make claims visible: a blender is shown crushing ice, a backpack is shown being packed. They can come from the maker, from a retailer or from an independent person who bought the product.
The trade-off is selection. A demonstration shows the best case, in good light, with practised hands. It is useful evidence of what a product can do, and weaker evidence of what it will do in an ordinary kitchen or on an ordinary commute.
Unboxings
An unboxing shows someone opening a product for the first time. It may seem trivial, but it answers practical questions: what is included, how well it is packed, what the first impression is. For viewers who cannot handle the item in advance, it is a stand-in for picking the box up.
Unboxings also carry a different appeal. Some people watch them for the pleasure of anticipation rather than to make a purchase, which is worth remembering when judging how much they reflect real buying intent.
Reviews and comparisons
Longer reviews put products side by side, discuss faults and compare prices, and often reach viewers who are close to deciding. Their value depends on how independent the reviewer is. A reviewer who tests items over weeks tells you something different from one who has had them for an afternoon.
Influence on decisions
Video tends to help shoppers in a few ways, though the strength of the effect varies between people, products and categories.
- Reducing uncertainty. Seeing a product used lowers the fear of a bad purchase, especially for items that are hard to judge from a picture.
- Building familiarity. A product seen several times, in clips from different people, can feel more trustworthy, even when the repetition is partly planned.
- Setting expectations. Reviews shape what a buyer expects, so a product that disappoints against the video’s promise may feel worse than one that was never advertised.
- Showing how to use it. Understanding that a gadget is easy to set up can be the difference between buying and hesitating.
Fashion and beauty are good examples of categories where seeing a product on a moving person helps, which is part of why fashion films and styled try-on clips are common. The effect should not be overstated, however: price, availability, brand loyalty and a friend’s advice still matter, and there is no reliable way to say how much any one clip changes a decision.
In-store behaviour
Video has also changed what happens in the shop itself. Shoppers often look up a clip on their phone while standing in an aisle, checking a review, comparing a feature or watching how to assemble something they are about to carry home. Stores respond in different ways: some show demonstration loops on in-store screens, some have staff demonstrate products, and some place a code on the shelf that leads to a short explainer.
For retailers, this blurs the line between the shop and the screen. A person may begin researching on a social feed, check a review while in the store and later buy elsewhere. Short-form clips are particularly good at putting a product in front of someone who was not looking for it, which can start the process, while longer reviews tend to finish it.
Paid promotion and trust
Much product video is made or sponsored by someone with a financial interest. Influencer partnerships and brand deals are a normal part of the economy, and many places have rules requiring sponsored content to be labelled, though the rules and their enforcement vary by country. A label does not make a review untrue, but it is a reason to think about what the video leaves out.
Signs of a more reliable review include:
- Clear disclosure of whether the product was free or sponsored.
- Actual drawbacks mentioned, not only praise.
- Evidence of real use over time rather than a single try.
- Comparison with alternatives at different prices.
- Agreement with several independent sources rather than just one.
Editing can also mislead. A product can look faster, brighter or larger through camera angles, speed changes or lighting, so a demonstration is better taken as a guide than as proof.
Watching with a critical eye
A practical approach is to use video to learn what questions to ask, then check the answers. Decide what matters to you before you watch. Look at the negative comments and low ratings as well as the positive ones. Check the return policy before buying anything you could not judge from a clip. And treat a convincing demonstration as a reason to consider a product, not as a reason to skip the comparison.
Video has made it easier to see products before buying them. It has not removed the need for judgement, and the shopper who watches carefully usually gets more from it than the one who simply watches.