Consumers inebriated e-commerce activities uncovered

Thursday, November 17, 2016 - 12:04 by Simon Crisp

A new survey from Flubit has revealed that around two million consumers in the UK have made purchases online while under the influence of alcoholic beverages, according to the Retail Gazette.

This is the latest report to look into the fact that because people can now shop at any time of the day or night, it is much easier for unfortunate orders to be placed when shoppers have had their sense of restraint impaired by drink.

Analysts found that the post-pub period of late Saturday night and into Sunday morning is usually when people are most prone to drunk shopping, with the biggest single purchase made  online in this period found to be the £6,500 spent on a car by one respondent.

This amount is exceptional, with the majority of inebriated shoppers instead focusing on impulse purchases of a more affordable nature. Items related to entertainment and music are particularly popular, with people splashing out on everything from CDs and DVDs to concert tickets and rare vinyl records.

Report spokesperson, Tia Saunders, said that the convenience of online shopping was often counterbalanced by the fact that it could end up facilitating less than sensible purchases, which consumers come to regret when they sober up the next day.

She said that the best idea was to avoid e-commerce sites altogether after having a drink, since with inhibitions removed people are more likely to buy items that they do not need or cannot afford.

As the festive season approaches the amount of money spent online increases, as do the number of parties and events at which alcohol is consumed. So consumers who are aware of the potential problems are more likely to be able to avoid them in November and December.