PayPal’s recent global Holiday Shopping Study found that almost 90% of Britons will use their mobile devices or purchase online to do a slice of their Christmas shopping this year. This is a higher proportion than most countries and reflects the way UK consumers are changing the way they shop.

PayPal’s recent global Holiday Shopping Study found that almost 90% of Britons will use their mobile devices or purchase online to do a slice of their Christmas shopping this year. This is a higher proportion than most countries and reflects the way UK consumers are changing the way they shop.

The survey, which also covered shoppers in the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Russia and Singapore, showed that nearly half of all Britons (49%) shopping this Christmas will do at least half their festive shopping online or via a smartphone or tablet.

So what is fuelling this change in consumer behaviour in Britain? Despite international fame for queuing politely, the main reason UK consumers gave for shopping by mobile is to avoid waiting in line.

The second reason is because mobile lets customers shop outside of store opening hours. Further insights from the research revealed that almost a third of people prefer to shop in bed, while 46% of Brits like to shop in the evening between 7pm and 1am. Those aged between 18 and 24 are most likely to shop at night as 64% buy their Christmas gifts from their bed.

Additionally, the survey echoed industry-wide opinion that British consumers have really taken to click-and-collect, revealing that 61% plan to order goods online or on a mobile and collect them in store.

Customers are increasingly turning to their mobile and tablet to complete their festive shopping away from the high street crowds. Therefore, it’s crucial to give people the choice of how to shop and pay. In the next few years, smart retailers will transform their stores to provide the same queue-free experience on the high street as consumers enjoy online and on their mobile.

We have already pioneered ways for retailers to bring together the high street and the online world with services such as our mobile app for consumers, which highlights nearby shops and restaurants that accept PayPal and allows customers to ‘check in’ with their photo and pay with their mobile in store.

It’s encouraging to see that British retailers are leading the world in adapting to this changing behaviour, making it easy for customers to shop from the sofa, train and bus, while giving shoppers the best of both worlds with click-and-collect.

  • Rob Harper, Head of Retail Services, PayPal

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