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Alcohol influences online spending

Thursday, December 8, 2011 - 08:51 by Graham Miller

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A study has come to the perhaps unsurprising conclusion that UK consumers will be more likely to splash out when shopping online if they have had a drink or two.

Close to 50 per cent of the population has browsed the web with the intention of buying something after they have had a glass of their preferred tipple, leading to many exuberant purchases, abandoned shopping carts or keyboard snoozes in the evening hours.

Over 4,200 people were questioned in a recent study commissioned by Kelkoo and 14 per cent of those who admitted to conducting safe shopping online while under the influence, said that they would not have made a purchase had they been in a more sober state of mind.

Everything from fashion items and lingerie to video games and DVDs were cited by sozzled shoppers as being products they have purchased while slightly befuddled by alcohol.

As you might expect, the hours between 11pm and 1am are the height of the period when boozy impulse purchases are made, but about 20 per cent of those questioned said that they would still shop online up until about five in the morning if the opportunity arose.

Spokesperson, Chris Simpson, said that e-commerce was such a common activity for Brits, thanks to the prevalence of smartphone and tablet technology, that people could now do their shopping at any time and in any place, whether it is in bed or out at the pub.

Mr Simpson said that increased generosity amongst the moderately inebriated might be good news for the people who are going to be receiving gifts this Christmas, but he made it clear that the most responsible way to shop online is in a state of sobriety and composure. He also said that consumers should read up on returns policies so that they can send back any hastily bought and subsequently regretted items.