Brits flock to privacy-conscious retailers

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 - 09:14 by Graham Miller

A new survey from Capgemini has looked at the growing importance of data protection in the world of safe shopping online, with consumers in the UK becoming increasingly aware of the need to buy from brands that will look after their personal info.

Seventy nine per cent of respondents to the study said that they saw security as the main factor involved in choosing which e-commerce site to use, while 68 per cent said that they would be compelled to shell out more money at outlets which were honest about the way that private details are harnessed.

The sites which do make efforts to reinforce data protection measures and let customers know about the provisions that have been put in place are typically considered to be 13 per cent more effective than their less well prepared rivals.

It is worth remembering that 44 per cent of retailers that operate in Britain at the moment have suffered some form of cyber security issue since 2015. As a result it is unsurprising that 21 per cent of consumers have learnt about an attack on a retailer they use regularly.

Report spokesperson, Geert van der Linden, said that people were more attuned than ever to the protections that they are afforded under law when they carry out safe shopping online or make a purchase at a high street store.

He argued that retailers could not afford to ignore the growing public awareness about cybercriminal activities, nor the rising influence that privacy protections and proper data use are having over the market at the moment.

The implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation this month will means that many companies have to augment the way they deal with customer information, not just to ensure that consumers can avoid having data stolen, but also to steer clear of steeper fines after a breach.