Importance of Support Services in Home Appliance Purchases Highlighted by Stellagent Survey
Stellagent Inc., a company developing agentic commerce platforms for the AI agent era, has announced the results of its survey on home appliance purchasing behavior. The survey, conducted among 400 individuals who purchased new home appliances within the past six months and were involved in information gathering or purchase selection, reveals that a majority of consumers highly value support-related services.
The survey found that 64.0% of home appliance purchasers prioritize support-related items such as stock and delivery, installation, assessment of搬入経路や設置場所 (carry-in route and installation location), old appliance recycling, long-term warranty, in-store staff consultation, and post-purchase repair and support. This figure rises to 82.6% for installation-type appliances like air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators.
Furthermore, 71.2% of respondents reported experiencing some form of anxiety before or during their purchase. Among these, 37.5% expressed concerns related to support services, including the feasibility of installation, total cost (including delivery and installation fees), recycling methods, warranty, and stock availability. For air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, this support-related anxiety reached 50.4%.
Among the 177 individuals who ultimately purchased from an electronics retailer, 61.6% cited staff consultation, delivery and installation, recycling, long-term warranty, or post-purchase repair and support as reasons for their choice.
Background of the Survey
When purchasing home appliances, consumers often face a myriad of information to compare, including price, specifications, reviews, stock, delivery, installation, warranty, and post-purchase support. For high-value, installation-type appliances such as air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and televisions, service conditions from different retailers significantly influence the decision-making process.
Electronics retailers offer various touchpoints, including physical product checks, in-store staff consultations, delivery, installation, recycling, warranty, and repair support. However, during the online comparison phase, consumers may find it difficult to ascertain the total cost (including delivery and installation fees), installation feasibility, old appliance recycling conditions, and differences in warranty and repair services. This lack of clarity can potentially lead them to opt for e-commerce platforms, price comparison sites, or manufacturer official sites where price and reviews are more readily apparent.
This survey aimed to investigate actual purchase locations, factors prioritized during purchase, pre-purchase anxieties, reasons for choosing or not choosing electronics retailers, and desired functionalities for official AI consultation services offered by electronics retailers.
Survey Overview
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Survey Name | Survey on Support Anxiety and Retailer Contact Points for Home Appliance Purchases |
| Target Audience | 400 individuals (aged 20-50s) who purchased new home appliances for themselves or cohabiting family members within the last 6 months and were involved in information gathering or purchase selection |
| Collection Date | July 21, 2026 |
| Survey Method | Web Questionnaire (Survey tool: Freeasy) |
| Valid Responses | 400 |
| Survey Organizer | Stellagent Inc. |
Survey Results
High Emphasis on Support-Related Items
When asked about factors considered important when choosing home appliances (multiple answers allowed), 50.2% of the 400 respondents cited “low unit price,” and 49.5% cited “functions and performance.” In contrast, 64.0% selected at least one support-related item (stock and delivery, delivery and installation, carry-in route and installation location, recycling, long-term warranty, in-store staff consultation, post-purchase repair and support). Even when excluding stock and delivery and in-store staff consultation, 51.8% still prioritized these “service-related items.”
Significant Pre-Purchase Anxiety
Regarding pre-purchase anxieties, 71.2% of respondents indicated some concern (excluding “no particular anxiety”). While 26.2% were unsure if the price was reasonable and 24.5% were unsure which model to choose, 37.5% experienced support-related anxieties concerning installation feasibility, total cost including delivery and installation, recycling methods, warranty and repair support, or stock and delivery.
Increased Importance and Anxiety for Installation-Type Appliances
For purchasers of air conditioners, washing machines/dryers, and refrigerators/freezers (n=121, 30.2% of the total), 82.6% emphasized support-related items, and 50.4% experienced support-related anxieties. Both figures are higher than the overall averages (64.0% and 37.5%, respectively). This suggests that for appliances requiring installation or specific handling, support information is often considered simultaneously with product comparison. It should be noted that category-specific comparisons are reference values due to smaller sample sizes.
Support as a Key Purchase Driver for Electronics Retailers
Among the 177 individuals who purchased from an electronics retailer’s physical store or official online shop, the top reasons included “satisfied with the price” (45.2%), “able to check the actual product” (37.3%), and “able to consult with in-store staff” (33.9%). A substantial 61.6% cited at least one support-related reason for their purchase, such as staff consultation, delivery and installation, old appliance recycling, long-term/extended warranty, or post-purchase repair and support. This indicates that the decision to choose an electronics retailer extends beyond price to encompass “peace of mind before and after purchase.”
Furthermore, 52.5% of all respondents, and 69.1% of the 236 individuals with high intent to use official AI consultation services, expected these services to provide information on delivery dates, installation feasibility, total cost including delivery and installation, old appliance recycling, and warranty/repair support.
For a more detailed report, please visit: https://stellagent.ai/ja/research/home-appliance-support-needs-survey-202607
Implications and Future Outlook
The strength of electronics retailers lies not only in price and points but also in the comprehensive peace of mind they offer, including physical product checks, in-store staff consultations, delivery, installation, recycling, warranty, and post-purchase support. This survey demonstrated that 64.0% of purchasers overall, and 82.6% for air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, prioritize support-related items. Especially for installation-type appliances, support information itself has become an integral part of the purchase decision. Conversely, support-related anxieties were present in 37.5% of all purchasers, and 50.4% for air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators. If consumers cannot adequately confirm the total cost, installation feasibility, recycling conditions, and warranty/repair services before purchase, they may be inclined to turn to other channels where price and reviews are more easily accessible.
Official AI consultation services at electronics retailers are considered to have the potential to extend pre-purchase support to digital touchpoints. This can be achieved by providing consolidated guidance on product suggestions, stock and delivery information, total cost including delivery and installation fees, carry-in and installation feasibility, recycling, warranty, and booking in-store staff consultations.
It is important to note that this survey was conducted via a web questionnaire targeting Freeasy monitors and may not fully represent all home appliance purchasers in Japan. The responses are self-reported based on purchase experiences within the past six months, and respondents were composed of individuals in their 20s to 50s, excluding those aged 60 and above. Category-specific comparisons are treated as reference values due to smaller sample sizes.
About Stellagent Inc.
Stellagent Inc. (Stellagent) is a company dedicated to developing agentic commerce platforms that support purchasing and booking experiences in the era of AI agents.
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Company Name: Stellagent Inc.
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Representative: Akihiro Suzuki, Representative Director
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Location: WeWork Ocean Gate Minatomirai 8F, 3-7-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
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Established: February 22, 2022
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Website: https://stellagent.ai/ja
Inquiries Regarding This Matter
For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact us via the following form:
https://stellagent.ai/ja/contact
*Product and service names mentioned in this news release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
