ICT Households 2007 indicates that 45% of people used the Web for price research

The latest modules of the survey organized by NIC.br show the evolution of consumption habits on the network and skills related to the use of new technologies

The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (www.nic.br) presents the figures on E-commerce and Computer and Internet Skills from ICT Households 2007. These are the last two modules completing the 3rd edition of the Survey on the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Brazil, which provided an overview of the Web's development in the country over the past year.

The first module shows the evolution of Brazilians' consumption habits through the network, and the second, the population's level of knowledge regarding the use of computers and the Internet, as well as the factors related to learning these skills and their relationship with the labor market. "The latest indicators confirm that individuals from higher social classes and with a higher educational level are more familiar and prepared for the daily use of computers and the Internet," explains Mariana Balboni, manager of CETIC.br (Center for Studies on Information and Communication Technologies), responsible for the production of statistics. 

See all details at:
https://www.cetic.br/usuarios/tic/2007/destaques-comercio-eletronico-tic-2007.pdf
https://www.cetic.br/usuarios/tic/2007/destaques-habilidades-na-internet-tic-2007.pdf

All survey results are available at https://www.cetic.br/

E-commerce
According to the survey, 45% of people who have used the Internet reported researching prices for products or services online, and only 16% reported completing a purchase via the Web. This data demonstrates that the Internet has already been established as a tool for cost comparison and surveying the availability of goods and services, but not necessarily for their acquisition.

The proportion of e-commerce users, meaning people who made purchases in the last 12 months, remained stable between 2006 and 2007, rising from 11% to the current 13%. However, during this period, there was a significant increase in the percentage of e-commerce users among higher income brackets and social classes. Considering those with a family income above five minimum wages, the growth in network use for purchasing products and services increased by 13 percentage points from 2006 to 2007, going from 19% to 32%. Regarding the social class, in class A, the proportion of people who made purchases online in the last 12 months went from 36% in 2006 to 52% in 2007.

However, the survey indicates that the proportion of people from class C who reported making purchases online remained stable, going from 8% to 9%. This class contains the largest number of people who have already used the Internet. In 2007, 52% of people who declared having browsed the web were from class C, while only 3% were from class A. This fact suggests that the increase in microcredit availability and income observed in Brazil in recent years has not yet sparked the interest of online commerce companies in this consumer group.

The most popular products among internet users in 2007 were electronic equipment, such as cameras, cell phones, and DVD players, which accounted for 41% of goods purchased. In second place were household appliances and products (27%), which in 2006 ranked fifth in the list of most consumed products on the network.

Only 10% of the total web users who purchased products and services via the Web reported experiencing any problems in the purchase process, such as longer delivery times than indicated or damaged product delivery. The main barrier indicated by the respondents for online shopping was the preference for buying in person, a reason cited by 57% of those who have used the Internet but have not yet made an online purchase, indicating that the major impediments to the expansion of e-commerce in the country are Brazilian culture and habits.

The proportion of individuals who have already advertised or sold some goods or services over the Internet in 2007 is still smaller than the proportion of those who have purchased online: 4% of web users declared having conducted some sales transaction. Moreover, this proportion remains constant compared to 2006. Once again, when observing the upper classes of the population, the behavior pattern changes concerning the general average. If we consider class A, the proportion of people who advertised or sold some goods online doubled, rising from 7% in 2006 to 14% in 2007.

Computer and Internet Skills
The ICT Households survey indicated that 49% of the Brazilian population has already conducted some activity on a computer. However, this experience does not necessarily mean that the equipment was used as an information processing tool. This is because 47% of respondents declared they were skilled at using a mouse, but only 32% used a text editor.

The proportion of individuals with computer skills decreases as age increases and rises according to their level of education, social class, and family income. "The apparent explanation for why younger age groups know proportionally more about using the technological tool than older generations is greater exposure to computers in schools, internet cafes, and cybercafés and the consequent ease of learning to handle them," says Mariana Balboni.

Methodology
Produced by the Center for Studies on Information and Communication Technologies (CETIC.br), the study was conducted between September and November 2007 and surveyed 17,000 households in urban areas, interviewing people aged 10 and over, across the five regions of the country. The sample was designed based on the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics — IBGE.

The survey was conducted in partnership with Ipsos Public Affairs and maintained the international methodological standard of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and Eurostat (Statistical Office of the European Commission). ICT 2007 also received collaboration from the Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC), from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which works on developing key Information and Communication Technologies indicators, approved at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2005.

About CETIC.br
The Center for Studies on Information and Communication Technologies - CETIC.br - is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information on the development of the network in the country.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center - NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (www.nic.br) is a non-profit civil entity created to implement the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee — CGI.br (www.cgi.br), which is responsible for coordinating and integrating Internet service initiatives in the country. NIC.br is responsible for registering domain names — Registro.br (www.registro.br), the Center for Studies, Response and Treatment of Security Incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (www.cert.br), the Center for Studies and Research in Network Technology and Operations — CEPTRO.br (www.ceptro.br), and the Center for Studies on Information and Communication Technologies — CETIC.br (www.cetic.br), whose objective is to produce and disseminate information and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in the country.

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of offered services. More information at https://www.cgi.br/

Press contacts - CGI.br:
S2 Integrated Communication - https://www.s2.com.br
Veronica Cassavia - veronicac@s2.com.br
José Luiz Schiavoni (MTb 14.119) - joseluiz@s2.com.br

This content was automatically translated with the support of artificial intelligence.