UK online shopping trends revealed

Brits do their research to save on spending…PriceRunner reveals what’s trending across the country.

As parts of the UK begin to reopen, shoppers came out in force this week to pick up a bargain and enjoy some retail therapy, for the first time in almost three months.

With lockdown encouraging many to curb spending and save where they can, there has been a reported surge in Brits searching online to compare prices, determined to make their money go further.

According to new research commissioned by PriceRunner, 1 in 3 (31%) are feeling the pressure to save money in the current climate. The poll of over 2,000 UK adults also found that half of Brits (50%) expressed a decrease in spending in comparison to this time last year.

The UK’s leading price comparison site has provided an insight into what Brits are looking to make savings on, revealing the top 10 trending product categories in the UK during lockdown.

As parents continue to find ways to keep children amused, with the majority yet to go back to school, it may come as little surprise that toys are in demand to provide fun for little ones at home.

Mobile phones ranked top on the trend list of 7 out of the 12 major UK cities analysed (58%), indicating Brits have been investing in upgrades to stay connected whilst on lockdown.

Consumer Expert at PriceRunner, Anna Lavfors, commented –

Saving has become a big priority in recent months, with uncertainty around future plans a considerable factor in this. The opportunity to reduce outgoings on things like fuel and the daily commute has led to many Brits being more aware of what they are spending their money on, which we have seen reflected in an increased appetite to shop around to get the best product at the best price.

 

 

With more time at home, the trends reveal that the biggest shopping priorities have been focused on staying connected, entertained, making home improvements and extra

playtime for the younger members of the family.

 

Alongside the top trends, PriceRunner has unveiled the categories which saw the biggest month on month search increases, and, as the nation gets savvy online the data has revealed how demand differs across the country –

• Edinburgh and Birmingham are all about the entertainment, perhaps creating a party atmosphere for online Zoom calls or bringing a holiday vibe to their homes, with DJ players seeing the biggest search increase in each city, up by a whopping 8000% in Edinburgh.
• Gardening has been a growing hobby for many this spring and search data reveals that Bristol residents have been eyeing up the latest way to keep lawns looking their best, with a 5500% increase for robotic lawnmowers compared to the previous month. Londoners meanwhile are looking to invest in ride-on lawnmowers.
• Keeping fit is high on the priority list in the North West, with Fitness Machines the number one biggest search increase in both Manchester and Liverpool
• Residents in Cardiff and Dublin have been keen to update their tech judging by the trends report, with CPUs top of the search list in Dublin and Webcams in Cardiff.
• Hot tubs have seen a huge increase in popularity since lockdown begun, but data reveals that Belfast, Brighton and Leeds are the cities that are most likely to be investing in the luxury outdoor buy, with searches increasing by 6900% by Brighton residents.

Data & Analysis - PriceRunner can supply additional data and analysis of search and shopping trends, tailored to specific themes and features. For further information please contact Soren Knudsen.

Survey Data - Conducted by Vital Research and the Relations Group for PriceRunner. The research was carried out online between 15^th May 2020 and 18^th May 2020. The sample comprised 2,015 UK adults. All research conducted adheres to the UK Market Research Society (MRS) code of conduct (2019)

Search Data - Comparisons from February/March 2020 with April/May 2020, source PriceRunner UK

---

---