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UK Online Shopping Population Still Rising
29/6/01



The proportion of online shoppers in Great Britain has increased by a third during the past year, according to the findings of a new worldwide study on the Internet and e-commerce from Taylor Nelson Sofres Interactive (TNSi). This suggests that 6% of the total GB adult population have bought or ordered goods or services online during the past month, or 24% of Internet users.

However, the findings show that there is still some continued reluctance amongst Internet users to shop online. Some 28% of Internet users who have not shopped online say that they are worried about giving their credit card details or associated security problems.

Key findings for Great Britain include:


  • Some 34% of the adult population has used the Internet in the last month (with 40% of males, and 28% of females doing so), compared with the global average of 31%.
  • The proportion of the adult population that has used the Internet in the last four weeks has increased by 7% since last year.
  • Some 12% of Internet users say that they plan to buy or order goods or services online within the next six months.
  • The most popular items are books with 25% of online shoppers purchasing them over the Internet in the last month, and music/CDs (20%). In third place is groceries/food (14%).


According to Pete Cape, from TNSi, "These findings confirm that online shopping is starting to take off and its potential is now being recognised by many Internet users. At the same time, companies which provide products and services online need to focus on developments which both reassure customers on issues relating to security and which aim to provide a more tangible shopping experience than at present."

The second Taylor Nelson Sofres Interactive - Global e-Commerce Report involved interviewing 42,742 people across 36 countries/territories between March and May 2001. Tomorrow, we report on some of the findings from elsewhere in the world.