Survey on support anxiety and retailer touchpoints in home-appliance purchases (July 2026): How much do buyers prioritize, and worry about, support information such as delivery, installation, collection, and warranty?

Survey Summary

Stellagent, Inc. surveyed 400 people who, within the past six months, had purchased a new home appliance and were involved in gathering information or selecting where to buy, asking what they prioritized at purchase, their pre-purchase anxieties, their reasons for buying or not buying at a consumer-electronics retailer, and the features they expect from a retailer's official AI consultation service.

Metric	Result
Valid responses	400
Collection date	July 21, 2026
Prioritized support-related items	64.0%
Prioritized service-related items	51.8%
Felt some anxiety	71.2%
Felt support-related anxiety	37.5%
Support-item priority among air conditioner/washing machine/refrigerator buyers	82.6%
Support-related anxiety among the same buyers	50.4%
Expect support features from official AI consultation	52.5%

In the survey, 64.0% prioritized at least one of stock/lead time, delivery/installation, carry-in route or installation space, old-appliance collection/recycling, long-term warranty, in-store staff consultation, or post-purchase repair/support. Alongside low product price (50.2%) and features/performance (49.5%), this served as a decision axis, and among buyers of air conditioners, washing machines/clothes dryers, and refrigerators/freezers, it reached 82.6%.

In addition, 71.2% felt some anxiety before or at the time of purchase. Those who felt anxiety about whether it can be installed/carried in, the total including delivery/installation fees, the collection/recycling method, warranty/repair support, or stock/lead time totaled 37.5%, and for air conditioners, washing machines/clothes dryers, and refrigerators/freezers it was 50.4%.

The chart above may be reproduced as-is in news coverage, articles, and materials, provided that "Stellagent, Inc. survey" is credited as the source and a link to this page is included.

Background

Home-appliance purchases tend to involve a large amount of information to compare before buying, such as price, specs, reviews, stock, delivery and installation, warranties, and post-purchase support. Especially for high-priced, installation-type appliances such as air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and televisions, decisions are shaped not only by comparing the products themselves but also by the service terms of each place of purchase.

Consumer-electronics retailers have touchpoints such as checking the actual item, in-store staff consultation, delivery and installation, collection, warranty, and repair support. On the other hand, when users compare online before purchase, if the total including delivery and installation fees, whether it can be carried in, the terms for collecting old appliances, and differences in warranty and repair support are hard to understand, buyers may flow to EC marketplaces, price-comparison sites, or manufacturer official sites where price and reviews are easy to read.

In this survey, we asked people who had purchased a home appliance within the past six months about their actual place of purchase, what they prioritized at purchase, their pre-purchase anxieties, their reasons for buying or not buying at a consumer-electronics retailer, and the features they expect from a retailer's official AI consultation service.

Survey Method

Item	Content
Survey name	Survey on support anxiety and retailer touchpoints in home-appliance purchases
Conducted by	Stellagent, Inc.
Operator	Stellagent
Method	Web survey
Tool	Freeasy
Collection date	July 21, 2026
Valid responses	400
Target	People who, within the past six months, purchased a new home appliance for themselves or a member of their household and were involved in gathering information or selecting where to buy
Selection / recruitment criteria	Screening confirmed recent new-appliance purchase experience and involvement in information gathering, product comparison, seller selection, or payment/ordering
Purchase answered about	The one purchase, among new appliances bought within the past six months, in which the respondent was most involved in gathering information or comparing
Tabulation	Single-answer questions by count and percentage, multiple-answer questions by number of selectors, and branched questions using eligible respondents as the base

This survey was conducted as a web survey using Freeasy. The collection date was July 21, 2026, and there were 400 valid responses. Screening confirmed that respondents had purchased a new home appliance within the past six months and had been involved in gathering information, comparing products, selecting where to buy, or paying/ordering. Respondents were asked to recall the one new appliance, purchased within the past six months, in which they were most involved in gathering information or comparing, and to answer the main questions about that purchase.

For tabulation, individual raw responses and simple tabulations were exported from Freeasy as CSV and stored together with the question wording and options. Single-answer questions were tabulated by count and percentage for each option, multiple-answer questions by the number of selectors for each option, and branched questions using eligible respondents as the base. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place (rounding at the second decimal). The figures in this report were calculated by cross-checking the individual responses of 400 people collected via Freeasy against the simple tabulations. The combined support-item and anxiety metrics were tabulated by counting, as the numerator, respondents who selected any of the applicable options in the relevant questions described below.

Excluding respondents who met the screening's out-of-scope conditions, we analyzed the 400 valid responses. No additional exclusions or re-fielding were carried out after collection. Regarding ethics and privacy, personally identifiable information is not included in this public report. Free-text responses are not quoted in the body of this report.

In this survey, "AI chat services" refers to AI services that answer questions posed in natural language, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and Perplexity. On the web survey, because of branching, "reasons for buying at a consumer-electronics retailer" and "reasons for not buying at a consumer-electronics retailer" were set as separate questions, so the question numbers in the tabulated data run from Q1 to Q13.

The definitions of the combined metrics in this report are as follows. Prioritized support-related items means respondents who selected any of the following in "what was prioritized at purchase" (Q6): fast stock/delivery, delivery/installation service, whether it fits the carry-in route or installation location, old-appliance collection/recycling support, long-term/extended warranty, being able to consult in-store staff or experts, or post-purchase repair/support. Prioritized service-related items means those who, excluding stock/delivery and in-store consultation, selected any of delivery/installation service, whether it fits the carry-in route or installation location, old-appliance collection/recycling support, long-term/extended warranty, or post-purchase repair/support. Support-related anxiety means those who selected any of the following in pre-purchase anxiety (Q7): not knowing whether it can be installed/carried in, the total including delivery/installation fees being hard to understand, the collection/recycling method being hard to understand, differences in warranty or repair support being hard to understand, or stock/lead time being hard to understand. Decision-related anxiety means those who selected any of the following in Q7: not knowing which model to choose, not knowing whether the price is reasonable, too many reviews to judge, or not knowing where to buy.

The exact wording and response options shown to respondents are provided in the Full Questionnaire at the end of this article.

Respondent Profile

Of the 400 valid responses, the breakdown was 235 men (58.8%) and 165 women (41.2%). By age, there were 81 people in their 20s (20.3%), 102 in their 30s (25.5%), 111 in their 40s (27.8%), and 106 in their 50s (26.5%). Age was taken from Freeasy's base attributes and was not asked as a question.

Attribute	Category	Count	Percentage
Gender	Male	235	58.8%
Gender	Female	165	41.2%
Age	20s	81	20.3%
Age	30s	102	25.5%
Age	40s	111	27.8%
Age	50s	106	26.5%

The appliances answered about were: PCs, tablets, and peripherals 17.8%, air conditioners 13.0%, vacuum/robot vacuum cleaners 12.5%, washing machines/clothes dryers 9.3%, other appliances 9.3%, microwave/oven ranges 8.5%, refrigerators/freezers 8.0%, televisions 7.5%, rice cookers 7.0%, beauty/health appliances 5.5%, and dishwashers 1.8%.

64.0% of home-appliance buyers prioritized support-related items such as stock, delivery, installation, warranty, and repair

When 400 people who had bought a home appliance within the past six months were asked, with multiple answers, what they prioritized when choosing an appliance, "low product price" was 50.2% and "features/performance" was 49.5%.

Meanwhile, 64.0% selected at least one of stock/lead time, delivery/installation, carry-in route or installation space, collection/recycling, long-term warranty, in-store staff consultation, or post-purchase repair/support. Of these, the narrower "service-related items" — limited to delivery/installation, carry-in/installation space, collection, warranty, and repair support, and excluding stock/lead time and in-store consultation — was 51.8%.

What was prioritized at purchase (multiple answers; base 400)

Prioritized item	Count	Percentage
Low product price	201	50.2%
Features / performance	198	49.5%
Points / campaigns	112	28.0%
Word of mouth / reviews	106	26.5%
Long-term / extended warranty	102	25.5%
Fast stock / delivery	88	22.0%
Post-purchase repair / support	85	21.2%
Delivery / installation service	81	20.2%
Whether it fits the carry-in route or installation location	71	17.8%
Old-appliance collection / recycling support	71	17.8%
Being able to consult in-store staff or experts	69	17.2%

While product price and features/performance ranked at the top, support-related items such as long-term warranty, stock/lead time, repair/support, and delivery/installation were each selected by around 20% of respondents. Combined, this means nearly two in three home-appliance buyers used not only the product itself but also the support terms that extend after purchase as a basis for their decision.

71.2% felt some anxiety before or at purchase, and support-related anxiety was 37.5%

When asked what they were anxious about before or at the time of purchase, excluding "no particular anxiety," 71.2% selected some form of anxiety.

"Not knowing whether the price is reasonable" was 26.2%, and "not knowing which model to choose" was 24.5%. On the support side, "the total including delivery/installation fees is hard to understand" was 12.8%, "not knowing whether it can be installed/carried into the home" was 12.0%, "differences in warranty or repair support are hard to understand" was 11.5%, "the method of collecting/recycling the old appliance is hard to understand" was 10.8%, and "stock/lead time is hard to understand" was 10.8%.

Those who felt anxiety about at least one of whether it can be installed/carried in, the total including delivery/installation fees, the collection/recycling method, warranty/repair support, or stock/lead time totaled 37.5%. Those who felt at least one decision-related anxiety (which model to choose, whether the price is reasonable, too many reviews, or where to buy) totaled 54.0%, so decision-related and support-related anxieties coexisted.

What buyers were anxious about before or at purchase (multiple answers; base 400)

Anxiety	Count	Percentage
Not knowing whether the price is reasonable	105	26.2%
Not knowing which model to choose	98	24.5%
Too many reviews to judge	67	16.8%
The total including delivery/installation fees is hard to understand	51	12.8%
Not knowing whether it can be installed/carried in	48	12.0%
Differences in warranty or repair support are hard to understand	46	11.5%
Not knowing where to buy	46	11.5%
The collection/recycling method is hard to understand	43	10.8%
Stock/lead time is hard to understand	43	10.8%
No particular anxiety	111	27.8%

Each support-related anxiety is around 10% on its own, but because the concerns split across total cost, whether it can be installed, warranty/repair, collection, and stock/lead time, they add up to 37.5%. This shows that being unable to fully confirm these at the pre-purchase online touchpoint can affect the decision of where to buy.

For air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, support-item priority is 82.6% and support-related anxiety is 50.4%

Buyers of air conditioners, washing machines/clothes dryers, and refrigerators/freezers numbered 121, or 30.2% of the total. In these three categories, 82.6% prioritized at least one of stock/lead time, delivery/installation, carry-in route or installation space, collection/recycling, long-term warranty, in-store staff consultation, or post-purchase repair/support.

In addition, 50.4% felt anxiety about at least one of whether it can be installed/carried in, the total including delivery/installation fees, the collection/recycling method, warranty/repair support, or stock/lead time. Compared with the overall support-related anxiety of 37.5%, support-related anxiety was higher for appliances that tend to require installation and carry-in.

Segment	Base	Prioritized support items	Percentage	Felt support-related anxiety	Percentage
Overall	400	256	64.0%	150	37.5%
Air conditioner / washing machine / refrigerator	121	100	82.6%	61	50.4%
Air conditioner / washing machine / refrigerator / TV	151	121	80.1%	71	47.0%

The chart above may be reproduced as-is in news coverage, articles, and materials, provided that "Stellagent, Inc. survey" is credited as the source and a link to this page is included.

Because category comparisons in this survey have small bases and are reference values, they nonetheless suggest that for air conditioners, washing machines/clothes dryers, and refrigerators/freezers, support information tends to be considered at the same time as product comparison.

61.6% of retailer buyers cited staff consultation, delivery/installation, collection, warranty, or repair support as a reason

When the 177 people who ultimately purchased at a consumer-electronics retailer's store or official online shop were asked their reasons, "the price was acceptable" was 45.2%, "I could check the actual item" was 37.3%, and "I could consult in-store staff" was 33.9%.

Those who cited at least one of staff consultation, delivery/installation, old-appliance collection/recycling, long-term/extended warranty, or post-purchase repair/support as a reason totaled 61.6%. Even limited to delivery/installation, collection, warranty, or repair support, it was 44.6%.

Reasons for ultimately buying at a consumer-electronics retailer (multiple answers; base 177)

Reason	Count	Percentage
The price was acceptable	80	45.2%
I could check the actual item	66	37.3%
I could consult in-store staff	60	33.9%
It was a store/site I always use	56	31.6%
The points/campaign were good	51	28.8%
The long-term/extended warranty was good	37	20.9%
Delivery/installation was easy to entrust	35	19.8%
Old-appliance collection/recycling was easy to request	33	18.6%
Post-purchase repair/support seemed easy to consult	27	15.3%

The reasons for choosing a consumer-electronics retailer were not only price but also extended to the "peace of mind before and after purchase" — checking the actual item, staff consultation, delivery/installation, collection, warranty, and repair support.

Among non-retailer buyers, alongside wanting an online purchase or avoiding a store visit, unclear stock, total cost, collection, and warranty were also reasons for leaving

When the 223 people who ultimately purchased outside a consumer-electronics retailer were asked their reasons, the top ones were "wanted to complete the purchase online" 28.7%, "going to the store was a hassle" 25.1%, and "another seller was cheaper" 23.8%.

Meanwhile, 30.5% selected at least one of "the item I wanted was out of stock or hard to find" 16.1%, "the total including delivery/installation fees was hard to understand" 10.3%, "the collection/recycling terms were hard to understand" 9.9%, and "differences in warranty or support were hard to understand" 8.1%.

Reasons for not buying at a consumer-electronics retailer (multiple answers; base 223)

Reason	Count	Percentage
Wanted to complete the purchase online	64	28.7%
Going to the store was a hassle	56	25.1%
Another seller was cheaper	53	23.8%
Reviews/information on EC marketplaces or manufacturer official sites were more helpful	45	20.2%
The item I wanted was out of stock or hard to find	36	16.1%
The total including delivery/installation fees was hard to understand	23	10.3%
The collection/recycling terms were hard to understand	22	9.9%
Differences in warranty or support were hard to understand	18	8.1%

For consumer-electronics retailers, whether they can clearly present stock, total cost, collection, and warranty information at the pre-visit, pre-purchase online touchpoint becomes a key point for reducing this leakage.

52.5% expected support features such as delivery, installation, collection, and warranty from official AI consultation

When asked what they would expect from a retailer's official AI chat consultation service, 52.5% selected at least one of delivery date/lead time, whether it can be installed, the total including delivery/installation fees, old-appliance collection/recycling, or warranty/repair support.

Limited to the 236 people with Top-2 intent to use an official AI consultation service, 69.1% expected these support features.

Across all of Q13, the most-selected option was "checking price/points/stock" at 36.5%, followed by "suggesting products that match desired conditions" at 32.8%, so expectations on the product and price side were also high. This report focuses on the support features among them, such as delivery, installation, collection, and warranty.

Support features expected of an official AI consultation service (multiple answers; base 400)

Expectation	Count	Percentage
Explaining differences in warranty/repair/support	97	24.2%
Checking the total including delivery/installation fees	93	23.2%
Guidance on old-appliance collection/recycling	89	22.2%
Presenting checkpoints for whether it can be installed at home	84	21.0%
Checking delivery date/lead time	78	19.5%
Booking a consultation with in-store staff	51	12.8%

In this survey, the Top-2 intent to use an official AI consultation service itself was 59.0%. Expectations of support features are tied not to mere product recommendation but to the role of organizing, before purchase, the delivery, installation, collection, warranty, and in-store consultation information that consumer-electronics retailers hold.

Implications for Businesses

The strength of consumer-electronics retailers lies not only in price and points but also in the peace of mind that includes checking the actual item, in-store staff consultation, delivery/installation, collection, warranty, and post-purchase support. In this survey, those who prioritized support-related items reached 64.0% overall and 82.6% for air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, and especially for installation-type appliances, support information itself was part of the purchase decision.

At the same time, support-related anxiety was 37.5% overall and 50.4% for air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators. When users cannot fully confirm total cost, whether it can be installed, collection terms, and warranty/repair support before purchase, they may flow to other channels where price and reviews are easier to read.

A retailer's official AI consultation service can play the role of extending pre-purchase support to a digital touchpoint by guiding, all at once, not only product suggestions but also stock/lead time, the total including delivery/installation, carry-in/installation feasibility, collection, warranty, and booking in-store staff consultation. Whether a retailer can connect the strength of in-store service to pre-visit online consultation and paths to the purchase page becomes a key point for future customer acquisition and conversion improvement.

Notes on This Survey

• This survey is a web survey of Freeasy panel members and does not perfectly represent all home-appliance buyers across Japan.
• Responses are self-reported regarding purchase experience within the past six months. Purchase timing, purchase amounts, actual browsing history, and actual consultation history were not verified against external logs.
• Whether respondents used AI chat services may be affected by how much they recognize ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini and the like as AI.
• Because comparisons by appliance category have small bases, this report focuses mainly on overall trends.
• Respondents range from their 20s to their 50s and do not include those aged 60 or over. The home-appliance purchasing behavior and receptivity to AI consultation of the senior segment are outside the scope of this survey.
• This survey is based on responses as of July 21, 2026. The spread of AI services, retailers' official site/app features, and purchasing behavior may change in the future.
• Product and service names in this report are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Revision History

• July 27, 2026: First published

Full Questionnaire

Below is the full text and options of the screening and main questions actually presented to respondents. Question numbers correspond to the tabulated data (Q1 to Q13). The questionnaire was presented to respondents in Japanese; an English translation is shown here.

Screening

SC1. Within the past six months, did you purchase a new home appliance for yourself or a member of your household?

1. Purchased
2. Considered but did not purchase
3. Purchased used items only
4. Did not purchase

SC2. In purchasing that appliance, were you involved in any of gathering information, comparing products, selecting where to buy, or paying/ordering?

1. I was mainly involved myself
2. I was involved together with family or housemates
3. I was involved only partly
4. I was hardly involved myself

Main Questions

Q1. Among the new appliances you purchased within the past six months, please choose the one in which you were most involved in gathering information or comparing.

1. Air conditioner
2. Washing machine / clothes dryer
3. Refrigerator / freezer
4. Television
5. Vacuum / robot vacuum cleaner
6. Microwave / oven range
7. Dishwasher
8. Rice cooker
9. Beauty / health appliance
10. PC / tablet / peripherals
11. Other appliance

Q2. Where did you ultimately purchase that appliance?

1. Consumer-electronics retailer store
2. Consumer-electronics retailer's official online shop
3. EC marketplace such as Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, or Yahoo! Shopping
4. Manufacturer's official online shop
5. A store other than a consumer-electronics retailer, such as a home center or furniture store
6. A shop accessed via a price-comparison site
7. Do not remember
8. Another online shop
9. Other

Q3. Before purchasing that appliance, did you consider a consumer-electronics retailer's store or official online shop as a place to buy?

1. Considered both the store and the official online shop
2. Considered the store only
3. Considered the official online shop only
4. Did not consider
5. Do not remember

Q4. Please select everything you used for gathering information or comparing before purchase.

1. Search engine
2. Retailer's official site / app
3. Manufacturer's official site
4. EC marketplace product pages / reviews
5. Price-comparison site
6. Video such as YouTube
7. Social media
8. Blogs, review articles, comparison articles
9. Retailer's in-store staff
10. Family / friends / acquaintances
11. AI chat services
12. Other
13. Did not gather information in particular

Q5. Please choose the single most helpful source in deciding your purchase.

1. Search engine
2. Retailer's official site / app
3. Manufacturer's official site
4. EC marketplace product pages / reviews
5. Price-comparison site
6. Video such as YouTube
7. Social media
8. Blogs, review articles, comparison articles
9. Retailer's in-store staff
10. Family / friends / acquaintances
11. AI chat services
12. Other

Q6. Please select everything you prioritized when choosing that appliance.

1. Low product price
2. Points / campaigns
3. Features / performance
4. Word of mouth / reviews
5. Fast stock / delivery
6. Delivery / installation service
7. Whether it fits the carry-in route or installation location
8. Old-appliance collection / recycling support
9. Long-term / extended warranty
10. Being able to consult in-store staff or experts
11. Post-purchase repair / support
12. Other

Q7. Please select everything you were anxious about before or at the time of purchase.

1. Not knowing which model to choose
2. Not knowing whether the price is reasonable
3. Not knowing whether it can be installed / carried into the home
4. The total including delivery / installation fees being hard to understand
5. The method of collecting / recycling the old appliance being hard to understand
6. Differences in warranty or repair support being hard to understand
7. Too many reviews to judge
8. Not knowing where to buy
9. Stock / delivery time being hard to understand
10. Other
11. No particular anxiety

Q8. Please select everything that was a reason you ultimately purchased at a consumer-electronics retailer.

1. The price was acceptable
2. The points / campaign were good
3. I could check the actual item
4. I could consult in-store staff
5. Delivery / installation was easy to entrust
6. Old-appliance collection / recycling was easy to request
7. The long-term / extended warranty was good
8. Post-purchase repair / support seemed easy to consult
9. It was a store / site I always use
10. Other

Q9. Please select everything that was a reason you ultimately did not purchase at a consumer-electronics retailer.

1. Another seller was cheaper
2. Another seller's points / campaign were better
3. The item I wanted was out of stock or hard to find
4. The total including delivery / installation fees was hard to understand
5. The collection / recycling terms were hard to understand
6. Differences in warranty or support were hard to understand
7. Going to the store was a hassle
8. I wanted to complete the purchase online
9. Reviews / information on EC marketplaces or manufacturer official sites were more helpful
10. I did not think of a consumer-electronics retailer as a place to buy
11. Other
12. No particular reason

Q10. In gathering information or comparing before purchasing that appliance, did you use AI such as ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini?

1. Used it
2. Thought about using it but did not
3. Did not use it but wished I had after buying
4. Did not use it and had no intention of using it
5. Did not know about AI

Q11. How did you use AI such as ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini?

1. Asked about a model / spec that suits me
2. Compared multiple products
3. Asked about price levels or how to buy cheaply
4. Compared sellers
5. Asked about delivery / installation / carry-in
6. Asked about warranty / repair / support
7. Organized word of mouth / reviews
8. Other

Q12. If a retailer's official site or app had an AI chat consultation service where entering your desired conditions in natural language lets you check product candidates, prices, stock, delivery and installation, collection, warranties, and in-store consultation guidance all at once, and even complete payment, would you want to use it in the future?

1. Definitely want to use
2. Somewhat want to use
3. Neither
4. Would rather not use
5. Do not want to use at all

Q13. Please select everything you would expect from a retailer's official AI chat consultation service.

1. Suggesting products that match desired conditions
2. Explaining differences among multiple products
3. Checking price / points / stock
4. Checking delivery date / lead time
5. Presenting checkpoints for whether it can be installed at home
6. Checking the total including delivery / installation fees
7. Guidance on old-appliance collection / recycling
8. Explaining differences in warranty / repair / support
9. Booking a consultation with in-store staff
10. Guidance to the purchase page
11. Other
12. Nothing in particular expected