Almost Half of British Consumers Snubbed International Shops for Local Retailers During Lockdow

By: Retail CIO Outlook | Tuesday, September 15, 2020

LONDON, UK: 43% of UK online shoppers said they shopped more at stores within the UK rather than spending at international stores and marketplaces during the global lockdown, a new report has found.

Just a third (32%) of British consumers ordered from an international online store since the Covid-19 outbreak - an estimated 13% drop from the 45% who said they bought internationally in the 12 months before the pandemic.

The ‘E-commerce Delivery Compass’, commissioned by e-commerce shipping platform Sendcloud, shows a dramatic shift in UK consumer attitudes when it comes to online spending pre- and post-pandemic.

69% of British consumers are worried that Covid-19 leads to less brick and mortar stores on the high street because of the rise in online purchasing.

Yet the average British consumer ordered 2.9 more products during the pandemic than they would have usually, while 38% also said they were planning on buying more online after Covid-19 compared to before the lockdown measures came into place.

This matches with Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, as despite online retail sales falling by 7% in July 2020 when compared with June, the strong growth experienced over the pandemic has meant that sales are still more than 50% higher than February’s pre-pandemic levels.

Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and Co-founder at Sendcloud comments, “The e-commerce landscape has changed tremendously during the crisis. It’s interesting to see that more than ever Brits are placing their trust in the hands of local retailers”

“In the light of Brexit, it is likely that Brits will continue to shop more locally in the future. This offers huge opportunities for British online retailers to increase their customer base in the long-term. By offering a seamless shopping, checkout and delivery experience to their clients, UK retailers can build long-term customer relationships and gain a competitive advantage over international giant players.”

Conducted in Q1 and Q2 2020 to compare pre and post-lockdown spending behaviour, Sendcloud commissioned the research to better understand the UK market as it prepares to launch its operation in the UK from October 2020.

Sendcloud’s all-in-one shipping platform will provide UK-based online retailers with the ability to integrate their e-commerce platform with major shipping carriers such as Royal Mail, DPD, Hermes and more.

Sendcloud currently helps over 15,000 e-commerce businesses to automate their shipping processes and in 2018 Sendcloud generated €33.6 million revenue. Entering the UK market is the next step in its rapid growth plans, which has already seen it claim a position in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and the FT1000 for several years.