People shop online to avoid fitting room congestion

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 - 14:08 by Sarah Collinson

British consumers who have shopped on the high street during peak periods will appreciate how problematic it can be to try on clothes, when the fitting rooms at your retailer of choice are particularly busy.

Waiting in line is often made all the more frustrating when you realise that none of the items you have selected is actually suitable once it has been put on, which means you will have to queue a second time after yet another circuit around the shop.

A new study has found that fitting room queues are playing a major part in causing more people to carry out safe shopping online to pick up their next clothing purchases.

Retail Digital reports that a survey of 2000 UK consumers found that the average person spends a little over two hours a week waiting for something, whether it be for a fitting room to open up on the high street or for the traffic to get moving during their morning commute.

More people than ever are using safe shopping online to reduce the amount of time they spend standing in line, with 36 per cent of respondents stating that they use fitting rooms less than they used to, as a direct result of e-commerce platforms providing a hassle-free alternative.

Interestingly, the study found that younger people are less patient when it comes to waiting for a fitting room than those of older generations, with the over 25s stating that their biggest gripe is not the queuing for fitting rooms, but the limited size within them.

Ultimately, it seems that people are looking for ways to avoid long waits, with online shopping providing a queue-free experience that lets you buy items in a matter of seconds, without having to stand on feet that are already sore from pounding the pavement.