Ofcom finds e-commerce spending is up

Friday, December 13, 2013 - 10:06 by Mike Price

British consumers are spending more via safe shopping online this year than they were in 2012, according to new figures published by industry regulator, Ofcom.

The average amount spent by a typical e-commerce shopper rose to £1,175, which is a £150 annual increase. And the study also revealed that Brits are more interested in online shopping than the majority of their international contemporaries.

Seventy three per cent of people buy something from the web at least on a monthly basis, with almost a quarter splashing out on an e-commerce purchase weekly.

Proportional spending is also high in the UK, with Brits spending £307 more than those in Australia, while topping the global average by a healthy £615.

Experts believe that the frequency with which consumers in the UK shop online is contributing to its status as a world leader in e-commerce.

This is bad news for the high street, of course, with the lower prices and improved convenience offered by online outlets helping to catalyse the uptake of e-commerce habits.

Fifty nine per cent of those questioned in the study said that they shop online more today than in the past because of the savings they can make, while 58 per cent said that using e-commerce sites was easier than heading out to a bricks and mortar store.

British buyers also trust online retailers a lot more than those from other nations, with 70 per cent of respondents saying that they are happy with the levels of security offered when making financial transactions online.

In Japan, on the other hand, only 29 per cent of people are confident in the security of e-commerce sites.

Ofcom spokesperson, James Thickett, said that the UK's past retail trends, such as the widespread popularity of catalogue shopping, are helping consumers to make the transition to e-commerce.