Trust is important for online shoppers

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 - 09:58 by Graham Miller

A new study has revealed that although shopping online has grown in popularity, people tend to stick to shopping with the retail brands they know and love rather than heading into uncharted waters.

The report from PwC, found that close to two thirds of consumers shop online with just five retailers or fewer, choosing the companies they have done business with for a long time over unknown entities.

Spokesperson, Andy Lyon, revealed that with the fall in high street sales, safe shopping online secured serious sales. Sixty six per cent of respondents said that they use e-commerce sites to buy items because of the lower costs that are assured on the web, so Lyons argued that retailers need to adjust their strategies to account for the new ways that people are choosing to shop.

Cybercriminal activity is another influential part of online shopping, formulating habits and encouraging consumers to commit their cash to retailers they can trust, rather than those that do not have a track record of keeping personal info safe.

Of course, any retailer can be hit by hacking and other illegal activities, which means that sites need to fight to preserve their reputations if they want to convince consumers that they are worthy of trust.

Another element of the market at the moment is the growth of global e-commerce, which means that British retailers are not just competing domestically, but with an international array of businesses all courting the web-savvy consumers of the UK.

Seeking help from overseas outlets is usually reserved for when people cannot find the product they are after from a British firm, but if trusted brands emerge elsewhere, then the competition could be even tougher, especially if security is prioritised as something to attract customers from the UK.