£13 billion saved by online shopping?
Published On 16 February 2007
Brits could save up to £13 billion between them each year by shopping online, according to a survey by uSwitch.A typical household would benefit by £500 a year if it carried out its transactions over the internet, it was suggested - with bills, grocery items and leisure activities being the areas in which we stand to benefit.
Steve Weller, head of communication services at uSwitch said: "Over the last year broadband prices have fallen by up to 17 per cent while speeds have gone up, making it cheaper and simpler for consumers to log on instead of going out to the shops.
"Online security has greatly improved so our peace of mind is greater than ever before, and the internet makes it easy to shop around at maybe 40 or 50 different stores in one go to make sure that we are getting the best deals."
Lifestyle changes have profoundly increased our propensity to shop online, as figures from the last decade prove.
In 1994 we were making an average of 237 shopping trips each year - and this figure saw a notable decrease to 2006 in 1995. It is likely that the slide will continue as online shopping develops more and more of a stranglehold.
