New research highlights importance of bricks and clicks

Research by commercial insurer, NFU Mutual, shows that 46% of consumers are planning to use a mixture of browsing and buying both online and in physical shops this Christmas.

Surveying 2,031 consumers, the study revealed that women are generally more likely than men to take a multi-channel shopping approach, (53% vs. 39% respectively), with men 20% more likely than women to shop online. 72% of consumers planned to do about the same amount of Christmas shopping as last year, with 14% planning to increase their online purchases.

Popularity for buying from physical shops is led by the ability to ‘try before you buy’ (63%), and the convenience of purchasing on the spot (52%), while people are most put off by overcrowded shops (44%), the cost of parking (31%) and lengthy queues (31%). Online shoppers most enjoy the convenience and accessibility (60%), and cheaper product cost (56%), with main barriers including worry about deliveries arriving on time (24%), concerns around payment security (19%), and damages during delivery (17%).

“It’s fantastic to see consumers still love the High Street, but it is imperative that retailers address the concerns of shoppers such as overcrowding or car parking costs and also consider whether a multi-channel or omnichannel retail strategy would help them to appeal to more customers next year, which also brings fresh challenges such as tackling delivery expectations and online security,” says Frank Woods, Retail and Wholesale Specialist at NFU Mutual.