Typical e-commerce orders now worth £67 each

Tuesday, June 30, 2015 - 11:22 by Graham Miller

The frequency with which people are shopping online is on the rise, as is the proportion of the UK population willing to head to the internet to buy products and services. But retailers are also keen to work out how much people spend when they make a purchase and what difference is made by the type of platform chosen for their shopping excursions.

A new report from Demandware, shows that on average, an e-commerce order placed in the UK will have a value of £67.

Just under a quarter of orders are driven by mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, although people are doing far more browsing from these portable platforms, since they account for 36 per cent of traffic.

E-commerce site visits are up by 28 per cent compared to this time last year, although it seems that consumers are becoming a little less patient.

Those carrying out safe shopping online from smartphones spend 41 per cent less time on sites today than they did in 2014. And this suggests that retail is becoming faster paced, as people learn to search and shop more efficiently while on the move.

Interestingly, the report also found that discount codes and special offers are having an impact on how much people are willing to spend per order, with a seven per cent decrease, year on year, measured in this instance.

People who are shopping from smartphones and tablets are not only better equipped to do research, but also compare prices and find discounts. So the lower order value, combined with the rising regularity of online shopping sessions, is reshaping the retail market in the UK.

Consumers are essentially taking a leading role while retailers are being forced to recognise trends and adapt to them.