Consumers committed to international online shopping

Tuesday, August 20, 2013 - 09:50 by Mike Price

While the majority of Brits have shopped online with a domestic retailer, it seems that a growing number are willing to trust overseas sellers when carrying out e-commerce.

A survey, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Rakuten LinkShare, has revealed that 75 per cent of UK consumers have indulged in cross-border online shopping at least once within the past 12 months.

This is higher than the 68 per cent average which was found across the full group of consumers that was surveyed, which included respondents from the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Brazil, as well as fellow European nations, France and Germany.

As such, it is clear that UK consumers are once again leading the way with their eagerness for e-commerce, with a willingness to carry out safe shopping online whether or not the retailer is based domestically.

British buyers also exhibited a greater desire to save money when using e-commerce sites, with almost two thirds revealing that they would be more likely to reconsider making a purchase after initially abandoning an online basket, if the retailer confronted them with an offer of some kind.

US consumers spend a slightly higher amount online than the international average, although they are averse to paying over the odds for delivery and prefer to stay loyal to one brand, as long as it is offered via multiple outlets.

When it comes to payments, there are different options around the world and while in the UK most people buy products online using credit or debit cards, the trend in China is to pay in cash upon delivery of the ordered item.

This all bodes well for the future of e-commerce on the international stage, with trust growing along with sales, to help the global economy.