A big factor of this increase is down to online shopping being easier with the decline of the high street, which is becoming harder for consumers to get a good deal. Over the decades it was very easy to go to the high street and get all your shopping on the same day from a large selection of shops, which has now changed with many shops now disappearing and focusing online only.

Online shopping has changed for the better over the past few years for consumers and it’s now easier and less ‘risky’ to buy online:

• Returns made easier with improved ways of returning unwanted products with free returns now an options and local drops off places
• It’s cheaper for retailers to operate online vs the High Street: this means more discounts for the consumer (10% new customer discounts as an example which you wouldn’t get on a high street)
• Shopping more efficiently to find the best deal. Shoppers can use technology such as Digthisdeal and find the best prices in seconds, instead of being reliant on their own expertise to find the best deals

80% of the UK population shop online

Over four in five UK shoppers purchase digitally. This is largely being driven by consumers tightening their belts and trying to get the best deals. 

The main factors out of this are:

• Easily compare online
• Choice – when buying trainers for example, you can easily see what colours are available where in-store they might only have one colour available
• Convenience – Shop online quick and easy without needing to fight against traffic, pay for parking and fight elements such as weather!

These three factors are turning more traditional high street shoppers to start shopping online. There are also other factors such as parking, parking costs and traffic which affect the desire to shop on a High Street against the ease of buying online.

83% of consumers compare prices when shopping online

The days of brand loyalty from customers are unfortunately over!  A great example of this would be a John Lewis customer, they had been known for their loyal following to the retailer but due to online competition, this has diminished. 

As more consumers tighten their belt, it is now harder to ignore the bigger savings offered online for the same product.  Whether you’re a savvy shopper or a big earner, no one wants to feel they’ve paid more for a product than anyone else.

Customers can now get rewarded for comparing online, technologies such Digthisdeal can reward the customer for comparing prices by offering cashback and voucher codes which can further discount the product they want to purchase.

65% of consumers plan to shop during sales to save money

Consumers are more deal hungry than ever, shopping in the sales can throw up some major savings for customers but they do also need to be wary. Some products can increase in price over these periods and it is important that consumers utilise technologies, which can help them see the pricing over the past few months.

Savings can be had during events such as Black Friday and January sales, but mostly these sales are retailers selling older inventory or over-stocked items.

It is important that a consumer should go into these sales periods tactically when looking to purchase.  An example being, it would be best to look for a ‘55” TV 4K HD’, rather than a ‘Samsung 55” TV 4K HD’.  The consumer can then look at the best deals in this category to see which is the best deal and then make a decision.

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