Online shopping 'becoming more popular'

03/10/2008

British e-commerce companies are likely to benefit from the financial downturn, the findings of a new survey suggest.

A study conducted by price comparison service Shopzilla discovered around 90 per cent of Britons shop online at least once a month.

Researchers also concluded that more than 11 million Britons are in the habit of logging on to make purchases twice a week or more.

Consumers quizzed as part of the survey offered a variety of explanations for becoming regular online shoppers, including convenience, speed and price.

Scott Mahon, Shopzilla's managing director, said the findings demonstrated that Britons were becoming more sophisticated in their shopping habits and offered some advice to internet retailers.

"Web shoppers in the UK are savvy and although this research shows they are enjoying the online shopping experience, it is clear they will not put up with poor website performance and after-sales service," warned Mr Mahon.

Shopzilla's report comes just weeks after eMarketer predicted that business-to-consumer e-commerce transactions in the UK would increase in value from £46.6 billion in 2007 to £94.2 billion in 2012.