Currys survey: nearly one in five Brits admit they are winging it when buying new tech

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Currys has published a survey of 2,000 UK adults to go with its Tech of the Year Awards, and it paints a picture of a lot of confused shoppers. Nearly one in five, 18 percent, admit they are winging it when choosing new tech. 69 percent say there is too much choice, 70 percent feel technology moves faster than they can keep up with and 64 percent find technical specifications more confusing than helpful

Some of the behaviour is quite relatable. 24 percent pretend to understand technical terms they do not know, and 28 percent nod along while someone explains something they do not follow. Another 28 percent look up terms on their phone while standing in the shop. 21 percent buy the more expensive option assuming it must be better, and 14 percent just buy quickly to end the decision fatigue. Most of us have done at least one of those

AI is creeping into shopping too. 61 percent say they have used AI tools to help decide what to buy. Of those, 51 percent said it made decisions faster or easier and 33 percent felt it helped them make a better choice. But only 22 percent would prefer AI alone, while 34 percent want a human expert in store and 26 percent want a mix of both. People clearly like AI for research but still want a human to talk to

Unsurprisingly for a Currys press release, independent expert advice comes out well. 79 percent say they value independent guidance, and 68 percent feel more confident choosing between similar products when they have won awards from independent tech experts. Chief commercial officer Ed Connolly said the awards help shoppers make decisions easier. Take the self interest with a pinch of salt

It is clearly partly marketing, but the confusion is real. Spec sheets for TVs, laptops and phones are full of jargon that means little to most people. Have you ever bought tech you did not fully understand? And do you trust AI recommendations when shopping?

Nearly one in five Brits admit they're 'winging it' when choosing new tech | Currys PLCwww.currysplc.com

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Sixty one percent using AI to choose products is higher than I expected. ChatGPT is good at explaining specs in plain English

Just check that it is not recommending a model from three years ago. Prices change daily, so always double check those too