Consumer confidence in online shopping grows

Monday, April 7, 2014 - 11:50 by Graham Miller

A new report from YouGov, has revealed that there is more confidence in safe shopping online amongst UK consumers than ever before. But e-commerce retailers will still have to work hard if they are to convince the majority of the population that web-based purchases are the way forward, according to Internet Retailing.

Two thousand adults were questioned in the study and 41 per cent said that they perceive no obstacles in the way of embracing online shopping. This does mean that there are still plenty of people who have yet to become entirely enamoured with the idea of e-commerce retail, although the proportion of satisfied customers is growing.

In 2012, a similar study found that just 26 per cent were unabashed about indulging in shopping online, so the increase in confidence over the past two years has been significant.

Those who are sceptical about e-commerce did lay down some of the issues they currently have, with a fifth saying that the web is not especially convenient when it comes to returning goods. A similar proportion said that they did not feel entirely comfortable with passing on personal information when shopping online, although this is actually lower than in the last study, so belief in security is clearly improving.

Report spokesperson, Marina McKeever, explained that while rising online sales have hit the headlines in recent years, the high street remains a dominant force and offers an experience which cannot be replicated in the digital realm.

This means that retailers will need to master both areas if they want to succeed in the long run. And indeed, the practice of showrooming, where consumers check out products in the flesh at bricks and mortar stores before buying online, presents a whole new challenge that they must overcome.