Insight: over a quarter of UK shoppers buy online once a week
A new study has revealed that some 26% of UK consumers are now shopping online once a week, compared to 22% last year.
The figures from Royal Mail also show that two-thirds shop online at least once a month and 3% every day.
Other findings reveal that consumers are also spending more online in comparison to last year with the average Brit spending a total of £220 from January to March this year. This compares to £205 in the same period last year.
Membership of delivery subscription schemes such as Amazon Prime were found to be continuing to rise with 18-24 year olds the most likely to have a delivery subscription followed by 25-34 year olds.
The figures also show that the trend for returning items is growing at pace with 23% of UK shoppers returning an item in the last month, compared to 17% in the same period last year. Some 27% of female consumers returned an item in the last month, compared to 18% of men.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail Parcels said: “Online shopping shows no sign of slowing down and those who are shopping are spending more than ever. Consumers are looking for convenience and delivery subscriptions are providing this. Retailers need to ensure they’re responding to consumer demand or they risk being left behind. With the emergence of try-before-you-buy schemes for consumers, returns will continue to rise and retailers must have a simple returns process in place to respond to this.”
The research was conducted by Ipsos MORI based on a sample of 3,000 UK consumers aged 16 and over.
