How Social Commerce Shopping Is Still Preferred By A Quarter Of British Consumers
Social commerce

For long-time shoppers, this statistic might not come as a surprise.
In the UK, there are still plenty of people who prefer to do their shopping in person.
While this figure has been gradually declining over the last few years, at 25%, it’s still a significant number of consumers who enjoy going out and doing some old-fashioned browsing before they decide on their purchase.
The figure is even more pronounced among some of the groups of people targeted by retailers.
The over 55s prefer in-store shopping to online by a large margin, which is perhaps not surprising. It’s also true of high spender households.
The reasons for this are varied but generally come down to one thing: Ease.
What do people like about in-store shopping? Well, for starters, it’s more convenient than online shopping. You don’t have to pay for a delivery, and you can easily compare products in person. Retailers do a lot of this for you online, but nothing beats actually seeing the products (and swatching things like makeup).
It’s also easier to handle the products when you’re in a shop.
There’s no risk that you’ll damage something when shopping online, but in-store shopping has the added bonus of being able to touch products.
You can browse through books or CDs, or try on clothes (either with friends or with staff). You can’t do that when shopping online.
The most important factor in choosing a product is also very likely to be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of buying.
In-store shopping allows you to sit down and think about what you want, while online shopping often makes you feel rushed.
Psychologically, there can also be a benefit to waiting until you have seen a product before deciding on it.
You might find that your view of a product changes after you’ve seen it in a shop instead of online.
This might all seem very trivial, but the biggest reason for shopping in-store is often cited as being “because it’s enjoyable”.
If you find shopping online to be stressful, there are some things you can do.
Firstly, remember that if you have any concerns about your purchase, many retailers will let you return items to their store.
Also, you don’t need to know exactly what you’re buying when browsing online.
If something doesn’t look quite right once it arrives at your home, then just return it.
The biggest retailer in the UK is Tesco, which was established in 1919. For the period January-October 2017, it reported sales of £71.7bn, up 2.3% versus 2016. The company has an impressive 830 stores in the UK at the moment, and 350 across Europe. It also operates 11 department stores in mainland Europe.
In the US, Amazon.com is the biggest retailer. In the year ending 23rd June 2017, it recorded sales of $136bn, up from $136bn in the previous year. That’s a mind-blowing amount of money! It has a total of 606 fulfillment centers worldwide, and an estimated 147 warehouses in the US alone. It’s also interesting to note that Amazon has begun its gradual expansion into physical stores too. It’s now stocked in more than 1,000 of them.
The most popular UK department store is John Lewis, with 566 stores across the country.
Over the last few years, it has also become involved in e-commerce more and more, with an online store known as Waitrose. 4% of Waitrose’s customers are first-time buyers.
The third place for UK department stores is occupied by Asda Superstore & Optical on Walbrook, which operates 91 shops across the UK.
Here Are Some Other Interesting Facts
- Most people shop online at least once a month. According to the ONS, the average British adult now spends two hours and 16 minutes shopping online each week.
- An estimated £1,110m is spent online every day in the UK.
- One in 10 internet users in the UK has made a purchase through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
- As of 2016, 40% of women and 33% of men in the UK made a purchase on social media.
- The average time spent shopping on mobile devices is six hours per week.
- 70% of British adults say they would prefer to go online for research rather than visit a bricks-and-mortar store. This is second only to South Korea, where 93% would prefer to do this. In the UK, it’s a little lower at 68%.
- The average UK adult spends 16 minutes and 27 seconds on the phone shopping. That’s almost 1 hour and 22 minutes per week.
- 22% of online shoppers in the UK decide on a purchase within ten minutes of arriving on a website.
- The average online shopper makes 14 orders every year, spending £800 per order. That’s up from £445 in 2010.
According to the ONS, 48% of all grocery shopper visits take place online versus 32% that take place in store. E-commerce is growing at a fast rate for this category, with online grocery up by 6% versus 2012.
Retailers are really pushing the online shopping experience to the max.
One of the biggest e-tailers in the country is Harvey Nichols, which has every product you can imagine in their stores and an online store.
This online giant offers free delivery on orders over £75, which is impressive, but there are other high-end stores that do the same.
The American giant Sephora has an excellent website with a very user-friendly interface.
It also offers free delivery on orders of £50 or more, which is not bad at all. The downside to this company is that it’s only available to customers in the UK.
You have to have a shipping address in the UK or Europe before you can order from this company.
Another online retailer to look out for is Space NK. You can either order from its website or use it as an app, and it offers free shipping all over the world for orders over £100.
If you’re looking for a retailer that pushes the boat out with its packaging and service, the website of Nails Inc is definitely worth checking out.
This online retailer has a very high-end cosmetics store on its website, and it’s great fun to browse through.
Each nail polish costs around £12, but the packaging is amazing. Everything is designed to make you feel like you’re buying an expensive bottle of champagne.
The delivery costs are also pretty good, with free shipping of over £50, and the customer service is equally impressive.
Other top online retailers that sell cosmetics include Space NK and Lush.
The latter offers free delivery for all orders over £10.
It’s a great website that offers a lot of fun, quirky products that can’t be found in regular stores.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why shopping online is the future.
All you need to do is make sure that you don’t get ripped off when shopping online.
Simply do your homework, read product reviews, and check out lots of different stores before making a purchase. The more you know about a retailer, the better.
Purchasing online is the future of retail, and it’s growing in popularity across the world.
According to a recent study, online sales in the UK account for £170bn every year.
The main reason why so many shops online are because it offers greater choice and lower costs than physical stores.
People like shopping in-store, but technology is finally catching up with this industry.
We’re now in an age when you can buy anything online, and this convenience factor is what encourages people to shop in this way.
Why leave the house to shop when you can do it all in your PJs?
Online retail isn’t just for clothing anymore either.
If you’re in the market for a new TV, sofa, or any other large item that needs shipping, then it could be worth checking out online retailers first.
They can offer you great deals on items that you would normally pass up because of the costs.
Another benefit of shopping online is that you can find out about new releases first, so you don’t miss out on anything.
You can also read reviews of products that are new to the online retailers’ catalogs.
This is a great way to discover new items without spending too much time in the store, which can become quite boring after a while.
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Also, the convenience factor of shopping online is very pleasing. You can see your order arrives on your doorstep, and it’s nice to know that you don’t have to go out in the rain hunting for a package. Plus, if you’re shopping online you can look up reviews of products and read reviews before buying anything. This research will give you a clearer insight into the products that you want to purchase and stop yourself from falling into bad deals.

Online shopping isn’t just for home products either. It’s now the norm for people to shop for clothes, cosmetics, and accessories online.
There are plenty of online stores that offer great deals on clothing too.
For example, if you’re looking for new makeup or fragrances then it could be worth checking out an online retailer first before running out to the store.
Many websites now have loyalty cards that offer discounts on your next purchase.
These are great incentives that can save you money in the long run. Many online retailers also offer free delivery on orders over £50.
This is a great benefit as it means you can spend less and still get your goods delivered to your door.
You could save yourself a lot of money and hassle with these types of offers.
As you can see, the convenience and ease of shopping online are hard to beat.
There are plenty of benefits that come with it, including removing the stress factor of going out and looking for the product.
It simply saves you time, effort, and stress.
There are also some other benefits to shopping online that are more to do with the industry as a whole.
For one thing, you can use this method of shopping for things that aren’t available in stores yet.
Some retailers offer pre-orders for new products that you aren’t able to buy just yet.
This is a great way to get your hands on items early should you really need something specific.
The internet is making a huge impact on retail.
Many brands and retailers now offer online shopping as a way for customers to order and pick up the product themselves.
It’s also proving to be very popular with consumers as it offers more choice, convenience, and savings than physical stores do.
There are plenty of online retailers out there that offer excellent products, excellent service, and competitive prices. You can check out which one would suit you best by researching the different options available on the internet. Broadly speaking, you should look for an online retailer with a good reputation, free delivery, and free returns. When you do this you will be sure to get the best service that will suit your needs.
Author’s Notes: Sometimes I use affiliate links. What does that mean? It means that if I’ve used a product or service and liked it, and that product or service has an affiliate program, I sign up for it. Then, when I mention that product or service in one of my blog posts, I link to it using my affiliate link. I receive a small percentage of compensation if you purchase using the QR code. This goes towards helping me run this website and providing you with more high-quality content.
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