Online shopping ranked second in poll of Brits' favourite innovations

Monday, February 21, 2011 - 13:48 by Graham Miller

UK consumers have put safe shopping online in second place, as part of a survey to find out which innovations have been the most important to the country over the last 10 years.

The study was carried out by analyst firm The Foundation and more than 2000 people were questioned in order to determine the type of recent revelations which have had a positive impact on everyday life.

Shopping online came in a close second behind broadband internet. In reality, the two are intrinsically linked, as it has only been possible for online shopping to surpass the convenience and comprehensiveness of shopping on the high street, with the help of high speed connections.

The web dominated the survey, with search engine Google taking third position. Fourth place went to chip and PIN payments and fifth to digital cameras, which again have become prevalent, thanks to the ease with which UK users can share their snaps on the internet.

The time-saving aspects of online shopping were cited by most respondents as key to their reasons for voting it into the top five. Interestingly, consumers seemed to be less concerned about the cheaper prices available online and more interested in the sheer convenience of online shopping, according to the results of the survey.

As well as making a big impact on the top five best loved innovations, internet services made a showing in the most hated list, with both Facebook and Twitter taking places alongside popup advertising online. However, it was reality TV which took the crown in this category, showing that traditional media still has the power to vex the nation.

A spokesperson for The Foundation, said that UK consumers were turning to broadband in spite of its additional costs, in order to enjoy all of these conveniences and distractions.