Online shopping has become the norm for Irish shoppers with 63% of people using the online store of an internet-only retailer within the last 12 months, according to new research published today by Barclays Bank Ireland.
Barclays’s research uncovers a desire among Irish consumers for a new form of physical store that is more diverse and makes better use of in-store technology, revealing that 70% of shoppers in Ireland expect to use the online store of an internet-only retailer during the next 12 months.
Despite the popularity of online shopping, demand for a vibrant and diverse physical store presence remains very strong. In the next 12 months, consumers are more likely to shop in the physical store of a national retailer than from the same retailer online (69% v 44%).
Furthermore, the research also reveals that Irish consumers continue to prove their credentials as savvy shoppers with 45% of people planning on taking advantage of changing exchange rates to buy more goods from British retailers online.
Nearly half (47%) of people have spent over €500 on a single online purchase while 35% of Irish shoppers are willing to spend any amount of money online. Nearly half (48%) of people are concerned about the security of online transactions, with 32% of shoppers wary of potentially fraudulent websites.
Interestingly, shoppers are now twice as likely to contact retailers via social media or an online feedback form when compared with three years ago and 64% of shoppers expect retailers to respond to social media or email complaints within an hour.
Head of Client Coverage at Barclays Bank Ireland, Helen Kelly said, "Ireland’s retail sector is in the midst of great transformative changes, in-store, in the form of technology and enhanced store standards, and online, through greater access, wider offerings and new value added services."
She added, "Our research reveals that online shopping is strikingly strong and public expectations of retailers in relation to digital offerings are growing considerably, but we also found that physical stores remain extremely popular and will continue to play a very significant part of the shopping experience for Irish consumers."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
