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Smartphone shopping expected to hit £25 billion in the UK for 2019

Paul Lipscombe
January 17, 2019

The most popular websites used by consumers are Amazon and eBay

Brits are expected to spend £25 billion on ordering goods from smartphones and tablets this year, an increase of £10 billion from 2018.

Research carried out by uSwitch predicts that 30 million Brits will use their phone to shop in 2019, which represents a rise of 66 per cent.

In what is a threat to the high-street and shopping centres, more consumers buy from a smart device (58pc) than in shopping centres (56pc).

The main reason for the increase is convenience, with two-thirds of consumers saying it offers a simple way to shop.

Other strong influencers include the ability to shop any time of the day (64 per cent), price comparisons (40 pc), wider choices (39 pc) and better value (36pc).

The most popular products purchased online are clothes with 69pc, books 51 pc and groceries 47pc.

Amazon and eBay are the two most popular websites used by consumers, with 89 pc and 63 pc respectively.

The living room (78pc) is the preferred location when online shopping, while only 14pc of consumers shop at work and less than a tenth (8pc) on their commute to work.

uSwitch mobiles expert Ru Bhika commented: “For so many of us now, our smartphone is an extension of our hand and we have it with us at all times, meaning that we can shop whenever and wherever we like.”

“With smartphone and tablet shopping now a £25 billion industry, it’s hardly surprising that major retailers have long adapted a mobile-first approach to their websites and have even introduced their own apps to make the user experience as easy as possible.”

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