Five-minute queue is “too much” for UK shoppers

Three-quarters of UK shoppers said that being asked to wait in a queue for five minutes was “too much to bear”, according to a new report by Worldpay.

The payments company found that UK shoppers are becoming “far less tolerant” when it comes to getting what they want, when they want it, and are increasing judging their experience against the convenience of online shopping.

The online survey of 2,500 UK shoppers found that shoppers in London had the lowest tolerance for waiting in a queue, with just 18 percent prepared to wait for more than five minutes, compared with 28 percent in the north of England who said they would wait for that time before abandoning a purchase.

The survey also found that men tend to have a lower patience threshold than women, with 25 percent of women prepared to queue for longer than five minutes compared with 17 percent of men.

“In a world where consumers can browse, buy and arrange receipt of goods at the touch of a button from their smartphone, the idea of waiting in line is increasingly at odds with the type of experience shoppers now expect from high street retailers,” said James Frost, UK chief marketing officer at Worldpay.

80 percent of respondents said they wanted retailers to offer more technology in stores, for example, 76 percent wanted the ability to scan an item and pay with their phones instantly, rather than waiting in a queue to checkout.

Frost added: “Technology is available to help retailers connect their digital and physical store environments to offer consumers the seamless experience they want. Many retailers have made significant strides towards achieving this goal, but many more have yet to start the journey.

“Rather than online shopping sounding the death of the high street – this report illustrates that bricks and mortar stores still have a place in the modern retail experience and consumers still love heading to the high street. However, as uncertainties over the economy make consumers more discerning with their purchases, the pace of change is only likely to increase. Retailers that will flourish will be those that continue to innovate in the direction consumer expectations are moving.”