The most popular purchases online
| 16th March 2021
Nine in 10 shoppers will continue to do the bulk of their shopping online – despite high street stores looking set to open in April.
New research shows almost half find shopping online far less stressful than going in store, and 28 per cent like that they don’t feel pressured to make a purchase.
Brits are now comfortable buying clothes, shoes and jewellery without seeing or trying them on first.
One in 10 respondents have even happily bought a car via the internet without even so much as a test drive or viewing, with a further fifth willing to do so when the time comes.
And more than seven in 10 adults said there is no longer a need to worry about going from shop to shop, when everything is so readily available via the internet.
Unsurprisingly, 25–34-year-olds are the most likely to shop online, with a third of over-55s also saying the same.
Those aged 45-54 buy the most clothes online – although people aged 25-34 buy the most shoes without trying them on.
But over-55s are most likely to book a holiday online, rather than going into a travel agent for more personal details.
However, the OnePoll study found despite the majority of adults now preferring to shop online, 61 per cent said there are still certain items they would only buy in-store.
A house, sofa and spectacles are among the items Brits are still nervous about sourcing from the web.
Seven in 10 said they want to see these items in person first, and a third feel it’s just not the same if they were to buy them online.
Trust is a big issue for 23 per cent of adults, while 25 per cent still aren’t as confident about making an online purchase as they are in-store.
James Taylor, from Vauxhall Motors, which commissioned the survey, said: “There can be a lot of misconceptions around making bigger purchases online, but we are seeing that it’s becoming a much more normalised way of shopping.
“Making expensive purchases, doesn’t have to be nerve racking. The worst that can happen with an expensive online purchase is that you don’t like it – but just as with a pair of jeans you buy online, grace periods, returns and refunds are perfectly common.”