UK shoppers prone to buying from online marketplaces than directly from retailers

The research finds that 57% of shoppers are buying from marketplaces, compared to 13% on retailer websites, Internet Retailing reports. Therefore, with more time on their hands and restrictions to shopping in-store, consumers were drawn to the broad product ranges, robust delivery infrastructure, and limited steps between logging-on and checking-out that characterise marketplaces.

Additionally, between March and June 2020, the average online shopper made 11 purchases from an online marketplace, and just three from an online retailer. The growth in online shopping at the start of the pandemic shows little signs of reversal, even as physical shops start to re-open their doors. More than half (54%) of consumers said they would continue to shop online for the foreseeable future.

However, the research also found that respondents were keen to support the high street, with a third calling for a Value Added Tax cut for high street retailers and one-in-seven favouring a fixed fee for deliveries to level the playing field for independent retailers and promote more sustainable online shopping practices.