UK consumers have spoken; security trumps convenience in online shopping

Over a third (39%) of UK consumers have professed to shopping online on a weekly basis and a further fifth (19%) confess to internet shopping more than three times a week, if not daily, according to research by PPRO Group, e-payment specialists. The most popular goods purchased online are ranked as clothing (31%), groceries (19%), travel and electronics (17%), followed my music, films and downloads (11%), with gaming/gambling (6%) coming in last.

However, UK consumers are becoming ever more security conscious, perhaps in the advent of reported security breaches becoming an almost daily occurrence. As a result, UK consumers rank security as the most important factor when it comes to making online payments for goods (55%), with convenience (10%) and speed (7%) seen to be less of a concern. Yet, familiar payment processes (16%) remain an important factor when it comes to gaining a consumer’s loyal custom.

“With the UK becoming an increasingly security conscious society, online retailers must be sure they are doing everything they can to assure consumers that they place just as must emphasis on security, particularly when it comes to online payments. Payments play a huge role in gaining loyal customers, so if consumers don’t see payment methods they recognise or use regularly, they don’t feel confident in the retailer’s security measures and may assume foreign/unknown methods are not secure. All it takes is one bad experience in a first transaction with a new retailer and a potentially loyal customer is easily lost to a competitor,” comments Jack Ehlers, Director of Payment Partnerships at PPRO Group.