Almost half of U.K. online shoppers make international purchases

London - Almost half (48%) of U.K. online shoppers have made an online purchase with a retailer based outside the U.K. According to the latest eCustomerServiceIndex (eCSI) results from EDigitalResearch and IMRG, 60% of the respondents who have shopped cross-border said that they choose to purchase with a retailer outside of the U.K. because of better prices, while another 60% said that they made the purchase because they couldn't get the product they wanted in the U.K.



Another 18% stated their purchase decision was driven by better products on offer. Clothing, footwear and jewelry are the most popular items with British online shoppers to purchase from a retailer aboard, followed by music, books and gifts. However, there is also an appetite for home and consumer electronics.



The results reveal that the majority of U.K. consumers spend up to $85 per transaction with international retailers. Two-thirds (64%) of cross-border shoppers who have purchased clothing, footwear or jewelry have spent up to $85 while a similar number (68%) have spent a similar amount with retailers outside the U.K. when purchasing gifts.



However, delivery charges and timescales still remain the biggest barriers for people purchasing overseas. Of those online consumers surveyed, all 2,000 feel that costly delivery charges could prevent them from making a purchase with a non-U.K. retailer, followed by 85% who could be put off by long delivery timescales and 79% who have concerns around security.



"Cross-border shopping is not only a huge opportunity for U.K. retailers to expand their customer base and following across the globe, but can also be seen as a threat as more non-U.K. retailers look to enter the market,” said Derek Eccleston, commercial director at EDigitalResearch,. “Our results show that purchasing with international brands is mainly driven by price and product availability, and therefore U.K. retailers need to ensure that they offer an exceptional customer experience to all customers around the world to encourage individuals to spend their hard earned cash with them."