Shift to online shopping continues as consumer mobility remains low

UK consumer behaviour has shifted due to the global pandemic as mobility remains well below pre-lockdown levels at an average of 63 percent, new data reveals. This has only fast-forwarded the already growing shift to online shopping.

According to data from CACI, 25 percent of consumers intend to only shop online for clothing compared to 7 percent who expect to spend their money in-stores. A further 22 percent expect to shift their current in-store spend online unless they have to go to physical retail stores.

Now that lockdown has lifted, there has been a 24 percent increase in people’s intention to buy online between May and July, and a 22 percent increase in intention to buy in-store in the same period.

According to separate data from the British Retail Consortium, 63 percent of consumers are researching online before entering a store. The most popular sites being: Google (64 percent), Amazon (61 percent), retailer website (58 percent), brand website (47 percent), eBay (36 percent), Facebook (18 percent), Instagram (13 percent) and other marketplaces (8 percent).

Towards the end of lockdown in the UK, 42 percent of consumers expected to shop more digitally post-pandemic than just 6 percent who expected to shop more in-store.

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