73% of online shoppers agree that their path to purchase is more complex and less direct than it used to be, according to [pdf] an About.com study. As the traditional purchase funnel has been upended and turned into more of a “loop,” per the study, shoppers indicate that shopping has taken on a more personal nature. That is, 79% agree that their relationship with brands is much more personal than ever before, and 68% agree that shopping today is less about the brands/products themselves and more about them what they’re feeling or needing.

via Online Shoppers Say Their Path to Purchase is Becoming More Complex, Personal.