Online clothes shopping rises to match grocery
The instant buzz of shopping has reached a new online high for clothes purchases, as nearly 9 out of 10 UK consumers now shop for clothes on the net. 44% of Brits go online at least once a month or more to buy clothes, with a committed 3% doing this daily. This is second only to groceries (50%) in terms of the nation’s shopping habits, according to new research from Cotton Council International.

These days, 13% of the nation buys most of their clothes online – up from only 3% two years ago, with consumers moving away from chain and speciality stores (down from 43% to 31.5%). Today’s research reveals 42% of consumers now use the internet to compare products and prices across stores; a third (33%) go online to browse the latest styles.

“Our research reveals that there has been a marked uplift for people going online to research and buy clothing, but not at the expense of quality,” Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager, Cotton Council International said. “This trend has seen retailers across the board take more of an interest in their online clothing offering – ensuring the customer experience, delivered both on and offline – is second to none.”

Mirroring the economic climate, only 10% of Britons bought more than GBP500 on clothes last year, with the average amount spent being only GBP230. Over half of Brits fear they have less money to spend on clothing compared to last year, making spotting a bargain more important than ever.

Nonetheless, a prevailing trait for British shoppers remains the desire for quality – with almost 60% of us preferring to spend more on better quality items, with 61% of consumers viewing ‘good quality’ clothes as those that are durable and long-lasting.

“Today’s shoppers are more vigilant than ever – thinking harder about their clothing purchases and examining what and how much they need to buy. When shoppers are spending their cash they are ensuring that they get the best value by choosing quality items,” Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe added.