YouGov Survey: Welsh Shoppers Driving UK’s 2020 Online Shopping Boom
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33% of Brits are shopping more online than during lockdown, with 38% shopping online as much as during lockdown
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Regionally, this trend is highest in Wales where 39% are shopping more than during lockdown, compared to 27% in Northern Ireland, 32% in England or 36% in Scotland.
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What Welsh bought most in lockdown: Survey reveals that home & garden, alcohol as well as health beauty & fragrance items topped list
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Welsh are most wary in UK about in-store shopping due to virus: 41% say they feel unsafe compared to 26% of Northern Ireland, 29% in Scotland and 34% in England.
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32% of Welsh adults believe it will take between 6-12 months for things to return to normal while 39% say it will take longer than a year.
London, September 2, 2020 – Scurri, the software provider that connects and optimises the eCommerce ordering, shipping, and delivery process is today releasing the results of a nationally and regionally representative YouGov survey on consumer shopping behaviors during and post lockdown. The survey of over 2,000 UK adults shows that rather than slowing down, the eCommerce boom looks set to maintain its course. It reveals the items purchased most during lockdown, the number of deliveries people made during and post lockdown and looks at several aspects of consumer outlook for the months ahead.
As many as a third of the UK population (33%) say they are shopping more online now than they did during lockdown, while 38% are shopping online as much as they did during lockdown.
Regionally, these figures were highest in Wales where 39% reported shopping more than during lockdown, compared to 27% in Northern Ireland, 32% in England and 36% in Scotland. Generationally, UK consumers who agreed that they are now shopping much more online than they did previously were in the 55+ bracket (19%) vs 11% of 18-24 year olds.
The most purchased items across Wales during lockdown included home and garden items (17%), followed by alcohol (16%) as well as health, beauty and fragrances (15%).
During lockdown, an incredible 71% of UK consumers received between 1-3 online shopping orders delivered to their homes every week, while 12% had as many as 4-6 parcels delivered every week. Since the lifting of lockdown, there has been only a negligible decline in the number of packages UK online shoppers have delivered to their homes every week. 66% (-5%) claim they are still receiving 1-3 online shopping orders delivered on a weekly basis, while 9% (-3%) say they still receive between 4-6 packages to their homes.
In Wales, 79% of consumers had 1-3 packages delivered per week during lockdown compared to 69% of English consumers or 74% of people in Scotland. The figure was highest in Northern Ireland (88%).
On the release of the results, Rory O’Connor, Founder & CEO, Scurri said “While the road ahead for retail remains in some ways unclear, what these stats do make clear is that online shopping is the new norm. The lockdown meant that many who may not have previously shopped that much online became more accustomed to it. It is interesting to also see that there are still so many who are hesitant to shop in-store, but also that they believe things will take so long to return to pre-virus norms. The survey for us painted a clear picture of a cautious consumer who feels more comfortable shopping from the comforts of their own homes.”
Welsh pessimistic about return to normality
When it comes to consumer outlook, Welsh consumers don’t see a return to pre-virus normality happening anytime soon. When asked how long it will take for the pre-Covid in-store shopping experience to return, 32% of the Welsh believe it will take between 6-12 months for things to return to normal while 39% say it will take longer than a year. Nationally, 36% of UK consumers believe it will take 6-12 months, while another 36% believe this could even take longer than a year. However, only 6% think things will never return to pre-virus norms while on the flip side, this figure being slightly higher in Wales (9%).
As many as a third of UK consumers (33%) say they still feel unsafe shopping in-store due to the virus. Regionally, the Welsh are the most wary in this regard with 41% saying they feel unsafe compared to 26% of Northern Ireland, 29% in Scotland and 34% in England.
When asked about the kinds of pandemic safety measures they have tried or been exposed to, 34% of Welsh consumers say they have tried contactless delivery, Click & Collect (30%), virtual queuing (17%), while 7% have tried reservation shopping to avoid the crowds.
Finally, there is good news on the horizon for UK brands with consumer support looking very strong. As a result of the economic consequences of the pandemic, 59% of UK consumers say that they intend to consciously seek out UK brands to support the economy. This sentiment is currently highest among female consumers (63%) versus men (54%). The biggest difference was in terms of age. Those that agreed least with this were in the 18-24 bracket (45%), while the figure was 70% for those 55+. Regionally, this sentiment was highest in Northern Ireland, where 64% agreed with this statement versus 57% in Wales, 52% in Scotland and 59% in England.
