A new report by Vixen Labs explores the adoption and use of smart speakers by UK consumers.

A fifth (22%) of UK consumers have a smart speaker in the home according the Ofcom’s 2020 One Nation Report.

It’s a nascent market that has accelerated because of COVID-19. Lockdown has fuelled the adoption of smart speakers in the home and created an interest in touch-free solutions.

A report by voice agency Vixen Labs explores how these voice devices, such as the Amazon Alexa or Google Home, are being used.

Voice search and commerce

Four out of five users of voice assistants have searched for products and services. 70% search for specific brands and businesses, and 40% are willing to buy stuff.

Consumers are turning to voice-activated devices to do their research before making a purchase, according to Vixen Labs. Searches include stock, functionality, store locations and opening hours.

One in four voice users have searched for information about fitness, food and drink, health, retail, and travel and leisure. Food delivery is the most popular use for voice commerce.

The benefit of voice search is that it cuts out noise. It provides a single answer based on location, search history, social graph and brand discovery.

The challenge for brands is that they need to ensure that they rank for the so-called position zero.

Devices and usage

Alexa is the most widely recognised and used voice-activated tech in the UK with 30% of people using Amazon’s technology. Around 25% of people are using Google Assistant via a smart speaker.

Automating tasks by voice is a user activity that is common across all age ranges. Two-thirds of users say voice saves time when sending a message, setting an alarm, or creating a shopping list.

Activating other devices using voice commands is becoming part of life, with just under half saying they use voice to control other devices such as lights and TVs.

Barriers to adoption

Privacy of data and accuracy are two key reasons given for people not using voice.

Older users and those living alone are the ones most concerned over what happens to their data. A third of all users say privacy concerns would prevent them from using voice-activated tech in the future.

Younger age groups appear less concerned with privacy and are more worried with lack of accuracy.

People aged 18 to 24 say being unable to find what they are looking for via voice or hearing an error message is more of a problem to them, than data protection.

The report explores four sectors in detail: Finance, Retail, Entertainment and Food Delivery. You can download a copy from the Vixen Labs website.

Vixen Labs is a strategy consultancy and app development studio for voice assistants and conversational AI. It helps brands connect with audiences using voice.

The report is based on an online survey of 1,000 participants carried out in September 2020.