87% of UK retail purchases made online

Online shoppers in the United Kingdom make 87 percent of their retail purchases (grocery shopping not included) online. That’s an increase of almost 9 percent compared to the situation last year, when 80 percent of retail purchases was conducted online.

This increase is, according to the Delivery Matters report from Royal Mail, driven by the pursuit of value for money. Consumers in the UK keep browsing shops and price comparison websites online so they can get the best deals and prices.

38 euros per online transaction

The fact they can easily compare prices, along with the wider choice of products, are the most important reasons why UK consumers go and shop online instead of buying things in-store. And when they do shop online, UK online shoppers spend almost 38 euros on each online transaction. That’s somewhat less than what they spent on average last year, with 42 euros.

Laptop in the evening, smartphone during the rest of the day

The study also found that when consumers in the United Kingdom shop online, the laptop is the device most commonly used in the evening, while smartphones are used more at all other times of the day. Currently, 78 percent of Brits use their mobile phone for online shopping when they are travelling or commuting.

More than one in five consumers (22 percent) has bought something online after see saw something about it on social media. The use of social networks to shop online keeps increasing, with younger shoppers (48 percent), women (29 percent) and people living in urban areas (38 percent) among the groups that are significantly more likely to buy something after seeing posts on social media, the study shows.

‘Retailers must respond to ever changing market’

“The growth of online retailing is driving a relentless pursuit of value for money. People continue to look online for the best deals and prices and this is driving the proportion of money being spent online, which has increased for the second year in a row”, a Royal Mail spokesperson adds. “Retailers of all sizes must ensure they are responding to the ever changing digital landscape alongside trends in online shopping behavior being led by younger shoppers.”