Businesses in every industry are allowing employees to work from home more than ever before, as technology such as laptops, smartphones and tablets help workers complete tasks from home. However, many of these telecommuters are spending some part of their day shopping, meaning that with the correctly timed advertisements, retailers can boost their ecommerce through these individuals.

According to a recent study by CouponCabin.com, 69 percent of home workers stated they go online to browse for and purchase products at some point during their day. This is compared to the 54 percent who do so from their offices. Just under one-quarter (24 percent) of telecommuters spend an average of one hour per week shopping online. Many of the work-from-home employees said they prefer not going into the office as there are fewer distractions and therefore they feel more productive. The research revealed that these staff members also feel less likely to get caught shopping on the internet during their workdays.

So how can retailers reach this group, especially as the telecommuting trend is expected to grow? Tracking and analyzing which products these individuals are looking at can give merchants more insight into what kind of items consumers want. Then, businesses can promotional campaigns with this information and send messages to telecommuters during working hours.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, March 21st, 2013 at 11:37 am .