Online shopping habits show resilience as Brits plan around Black Friday  

Someone using a smartphone next to a Black Friday sale poster.

74% of UK shoppers said they are likely to shop online on or around Black Friday this year, a rise from 63% in 2021, according to a survey from commerce media company Criteo.

While speculation about the sheer scale of this year’s Black Friday compared to previous years remains, it seems Black Friday will play an important role for consumers. 

In fact, roughly a third (32%) of UK shoppers say they ‘always’ shop online on or around Black Friday each year. The...

21 November 2022 | E-Commerce

Customers willing to sacrifice delivery and brand loyalty for quicker path to purchase online

As post-pandemic consumer expectations continue to skyrocket, so too does their need for digital shopping speed.

Nearly one-half of U.S. online shoppers now say it’s more important for them to be able to buy something quickly than it is to have a large selection of items to choose from, according to the inaugural eCommerce Trends Report released by headless commerce solution, Pack. The report also illustrates the impact website speed and ease of use have on consumers’ path to...

8 November 2022 | Customer Experience

25% of UK’s leading brands charge consumers for returning online purchases

A woman with a latptop and bank card.

A quarter (25%) of the UK’s leading brands such as Zara and Boohoo are now charging shoppers to return purchases they have made online; a year-on-year increase of 14%.

The State of Operations Experience Management Study Series 2022, conducted by parcelLab, the Operations Experience Management platform, found that of those consumers being charged for making a return, the average cost is £3.53 and it takes an average of nine days for refunds to be processed. To undertake this...

18 October 2022 | Best Practice

72% of shoppers more likely to return to brands with strong online communities

A woman with a latptop and bank card.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of the consumers are more likely to return to a brand that creates a strong online community, 

This is according to a study by Amity, a tech platform that powers in-app social experiences, which highlights the importance of brands creating online communities to engage with their customers.

The research also found that almost two-thirds (63%) admit they are more likely to buy from a brand that leverages engaging social features on its...

20 October 2021 | Commerce

Half of UK consumers plan to do Christmas shopping exclusively online

A dog wearing an elf hat.

48% of consumers in the UK plan to shop exclusively online ub the run up to Christmas 2021. 

A survey of more than 1,000 consumers by recommendation platform Outbrain revealed that only 6% of consumers plan to shop exclusively in-store. 

The news comes as the UK high street attempts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging consumers to return to bricks and mortar shops. 

Brand values will also play a role informing the brand that...

19 October 2021 | E-Commerce

How to reduce shopping cart abandonment rates

Abandoned shopping trolleys.

The customer experience is essential for improving conversion rates in the e-commerce market. It’s important to make the buying and checkout process as simple as possible, creating fewer barriers to a complete sale.

While online sales have become the new normal for quick and efficient shopping, there’s still room for improvement and growth. Here, we explore the expectations of customers for an easier and more enjoyable checkout experience, and the innovative solutions that are...

14 September 2021 | E-Commerce

Quarter of British consumers still prefer in-person shopping experience

A quarter of British consumers said they would be more likely to buy items they find challenging to buy online if they could ask questions and get advice in-person.

The data comes from new research by ecommerce tech firm Ve Global and it also found the products consumers find most difficult to buy online.

Clothing was considered the most challenging category of products to buy online, ranking first amongst the 2,014 respondents 27% of the time, followed by groceries at...

10 September 2021 | Customer Experience

Customers lack faith in brands protecting them from fraud

A man sitting in the dark, using a laptop.

Half or UK retailers believe they are doing everything they can to prevent e-commerce fraud, but far less consumers (17%) share their confidence.

The stark disconnect between retailers and shoppers on the matter of online shopping fraud has been highlighted by new European and US data released by Riskified, an e-commerce enablement and fraud-prevention solutions provider.

The research, which comprised 4,000 consumers and 400 retailers across the US, UK, France and...

26 August 2021 | Branding

AnalyticsIQ’s Data Shop launched on Narrative’s data streaming platform

Data on a computer screen.

AnalyticsIQ, a specialist in predictive analytics innovator and marketing data creator, has launch an e-commerce store for audience data. 

The store is built with Narrative’s new Data Shops offering, which enables companies to effortlessly spin up a branded data shop that lets data users easily find, purchase, and leverage a variety of proprietary data assets via a familiar e-commerce experience.

Psychological drivers

AnalyticsIQ is said to be the first...

26 August 2021 | E-Commerce

TikTok introduces Shopify Shop Tab for approved merchant profiles

TikTok logo on a smartphone.

TikTok has unveiled an expanded partnership with Shopify and pilot testing TikTok Shopping among a select group of Shopify merchants in the US, UK, and Canada in the coming weeks. 

TikTok Shopping will bring new features that help Shopify merchants create engaging, organic content that sends consumers directly to their online store for checkout, making it easy for people to explore and buy the products they discover on TikTok.

Creative outlet

Through...

26 August 2021 | E-Commerce