84% of Italians with internet access search for product info online, then buy in-store

"When it comes to purchasing decisions, the study revealed that the physical retail outlets continue to be important sources of information. While more and more people say they inform themselves before they go to the store, once inside, they still want to learn more or receive reassurance on their choice. For example, when purchasing consumer electronics 47 percent of Italian consumers already know about the products, but they want further information once in the store.
At the same time, the Internet continues to play an increasingly important role as a source of information to support purchases. Fully 84 percent of consumers with Internet access (31 million individuals) search for information online and then buy at the store – an increase of two percentage points vs. 2009 and a rise of eight points vs. 2007. Seventy-four percent compare prices of products/services before buying (+3 p.p. vs. 2009, +9 p.p. vs. 2007) and 37 percent of Italian consumers order online and pick up later at the retailer (+2 p.p. vs. 2009, +5 p.p. vs. 2007).
User-generated content on the Internet and dialogue between peers is rising in importance as a credible form of support to the purchasing process. One-in-three (32%) consumers who use the Internet (42% of the Reloaded cluster) consider the opinions of others on forums, blogs and social networks as important and relevant input when deciding whether to buy a product or service. Additionally, perceived barriers to Internet shopping continue to decline. Thirty-one percent of Italians (+9 p.p. vs. 2009) believe the web meets their personal needs, while 26 percent of Internet users say they check out products in the store before buying online (+5 p.p. vs. 2009)."
Source:  The Multichannel Survey, a four-year running joint project by Nielsen, Connexia and the Milan Polytechnic School of Management, reported in a blog post by Nielsen, 11th April 2011