New research from Whistl has found that 36 per cent of online shoppers increased their frequency of online retail purchases during the Covid lockdown period. Interestingly while 49 per cent of over-65s increased their online purchase frequency, 28 per cent of 18-24 year olds reduced their online spend.
With the easing of restrictions, 63 per cent of the UK population have maintained their online lockdown shopping habits, with 15 per cent still increasing their frequency of purchasing online.
Respondents were asked what items they would normally have bought in a shop, but as a result of lockdown, they purchased online. The three most popular categories were clothing (49 per cent), health and personal care (35 per cent), and books (30 per cent). Since the easing of lockdown and the opening of physical shops, there has been a small fall in online purchases but not a significant shift back to the high street.
During Lockdown (Mid Mar-Jun) Easing Lockdown (Jul-Sept)
| Clothes / Fashion | 49% | 45% |
| Health & Personal Care | 35% | 29% |
| Books | 30% | 25% |
| Gifts | 27% | 23% |
| Electronic equipment | 26% | 19% |
| Garden & Outdoors | 25% | 21% |
| Home & Kitchen products | 23% | 20% |
| Toys & Games | 21% | 16% |
| Pet products | 21% | 16% |
| DIY & Tools | 20% | 17% |
| CDs / DVDs | 16% | 15% |
| Baby & Child products | 12% | 10% |
| Home Office Equipment | 12% | 10% |
| Other | 3% | 2% |
However, the pandemic lockdown also had a negative impact on online sales with one in five respondents saying they were reluctant to make a purchase online. The figure rose to 24 per cent for 18-24yr olds with the over 65s (9 per cent) the least concerned about making a purchase. Females (20 per cent) were also more reluctant than men (15 per cent) to make a purchase as were households with children (24 per cent). taking a negative view.
Melanie Darvall, director marketing & communications, Whistl, said: “The lockdown drove many of us to make greater use of the internet, particularly to shop. Our figures show that the over 65s have made a significant shift to shop online which is an important lesson for retailers when looking to increase sales among this demographic.
“With shopping making a significant move on online during the lockdown, both brick and click retailers cannot be complacent, they have to build confidence and deliver the right experience to consumers when making online purchases, given that 20 per cent were reluctant to make a purchase during the lockdown. One way to build that confidence is to ensure that the online experience is seamless, with suitable fulfilment and delivery capability that is scalable and meets the specific needs of their target demographic.”
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