Cold Feet

One in ten online shoppers abandon their shopping basket at checkout because they get cold feet when they see how much money they are spending, according to a new study commissioned by Royal Mail. The report also found that price savvy younger consumers (18-to-24 year-olds) are the most difficult age group to convert from online browsers to buyers. Two thirds of them (61%) frequently abandon their online shopping baskets compared to only a third (39%) of 35-to-44 year olds.

Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, commented: “The findings suggest that online shoppers often start off browsing online innocently – a term known as digital window shopping – get carried away by attractive offers and great product reviews, load up their baskets, proceed to check out and then have an “oops moment” when they see their total spend. This then prompts them to seek a better deal elsewhere or abandon the purchase completely.”

The study into the shopping habits and preferences of UK online shoppers also found that consumers are buying more frequently online than they did a year ago. The report found a 14% increase in the number of times consumers in the UK purchased items online.

Landon added: “As online shopping frequency increases, so does the consumer’s expectations of their delivery experience. Fast delivery times, tracking, free returns and trust play an increasingly large role when online shoppers make their purchasing decision.”