Welsh consumers show enthusiasm for online shopping

Friday, November 30, 2012 - 11:29 by Sarah Collinson

It looks like people who live in Wales will be amongst the most prolific users of safe shopping online this Christmas.

This is according to a new poll conducted by BSS Digital, which found that 93 per cent of Welsh shoppers will be making purchases via a PC, smartphone or tablet computer.

This is a considerable degree higher than the national average and suggests that perhaps the more rural population of Wales will be better positioned to take advantage of e-commerce delivery services, since the high street may not cater to their needs.

Earlier this month, the Royal Mail revealed that it was opening up a brand new parcel handling centre in Swansea, to help cope with the increased demand for safe shopping online during the run-up to the festive season.

It is estimated that almost 300,000 parcels will pass through this single centre during its busiest 24 hour period over Christmas.

Meanwhile, around 1,000 temp jobs were created by Amazon in Swansea when it recruited workers for its big Christmas push, according to BBC News.

Across the UK there are a number of new parcel sorting centres being put into operation by the Royal Mail and many third party logistics firms, since the booming use of e-commerce will require a significant increase in capacity.

It seems that the majority of people in the UK will do at least some of their Christmas shopping online, with some households actually purchasing everything from e-commerce sites and avoiding the high street altogether.

A multichannel approach will also be common, with people using smartphones and tablets to research products and prices, before they head to their local outlets and part with some cash. This is good news for bricks and mortar retailers looking to stay afloat.