A new survey from Johnson & Johnson partner site, BabyCenter, has revealed that nearly two-thirds of upper-income millennial moms acknowledge that they are influenced by online recommendations when purchasing baby products.

BabyCenter’s study surveyed 905 new and soon-to-be moms in a bid to understand the influence of online reviews on purchasing decisions at different household income levels.

In an interview with Adweek, BabyCenter’s VP of Sales Julie Michaelson said that “new moms are ready to make all their registry decisions online, using all the information sources they find there to ensure that their new baby is safe, happy and comfortable throughout the day.”

Key Findings

Babycenter’s study revealed that pregnant women in higher income households, those bringing in over $100k/a, were even more likely to be influenced by online reviews:

Online reviews by other parents

• 62 percent of parents earning household incomes of over $100,000 said they would be influenced by reviews from other parents.
• 61 percent of parents earning household incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 said they would be influenced by reviews from other parents.
• 48 percent of parents earning household incomes of less than $50,000 said they would be influenced by reviews from other parents.

Online reviews by editorial experts

• 48 percent of parents earning household incomes of over $100,000 said they would be influenced by reviews from editorial experts.
• 44 percent of parents earning household incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 said they would be influenced by reviews from editorial experts.
• 31 percent of parents earning household incomes of less than $50,000 said they would be influenced by reviews from editorial experts

In addition to this 27 percent of the six-figure moms surveyed were influenced to purchase strollers by in-store sales people, whereas only 17 percent of moms in the two lower brackets reported the same.

Online Reviews Are A Powerful Driver For Upper Income Moms

The study shows that, especially in higher income brackets, personalized online reviews are the most influential driver for purchasing decisions. Peer recommendations have always been important in the mother-and-baby market and online reviews from other parents provide the kind of reassurance for mothers looking for a honest and genuine review of the products they are interested in.

The survey’s findings suggest that marketers operating in the niche should encourage content and social and peer recommendations to boost in e-commerce sales.