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Lack of high street parking makes online shopping preferable

Tuesday, December 18, 2012 - 11:36 by Simon Crisp

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Once you have wrapped up warmly and got the kids in the car, the only obstacle between you and a day spent doing your Christmas shopping on the high street, may well be whether or not you can actually find a parking space.

This is based on a new study from AXA, which shows that people are being put off the idea of heading out to bricks and mortar retailers this year, in favour of safe shopping online, as a direct result of parking availability.

Ten per cent of British consumers had to spend at least half an hour waiting to get into a parking space last year, although this rises to 40 per cent, if you happen to live in the capital.

Other busy areas for parking including Cambridge, Glasgow and Brighton, which means you will find that the most popular shopping destinations in the country are also some of the most difficult for drivers to access.

Even if you do find a space eventually, many people also see the added expense of having to pay to park too much of a burden.

While you may be charged for delivery if you buy something via safe shopping online, you will invariably tot up expenses when you head to the high street.

London is once again at the top of the list when it comes to the costliest places to park in the UK. Meanwhile, Cambridge is seen as both too expensive in terms of parking, as well as the place in which most residents are likely to shop online, rather than head to the historic, if crowded, centre of the city.

The stress of high street shopping during the festive season can be needlessly exacerbated by issues related to parking, which makes it easy to see why some people find e-commerce so much easier to use.