“The Converged Lifestyle” report from KPMG, released today, highlights how far UK shopping habits have been transformed by technology and point to the fact that not only has e-commerce become widely adopted, it’s now the preferred method of shopping for many. In the survey, 77% of British shoppers said that they prefer to buy goods like CDs, DVDs, books and video games online which compares to 65% globally.
Whilst consumers around the world are quickly adopting new technologies, the report found that UK consumers and businesses are more advanced when it comes to adopting new technologies as online shopping and the use of social media are more widespread in the UK than in other parts of the world. This is borne out by the report’s findings which show that 88% of respondents in the UK reported downloading an app to their mobile, 74% of consumers said they were more likely to buy flights and holidays online and 60% used some form of online grocery shopping. By contrast, in the US, whilst around the same amount would book flights, only 21% said they were more likely to buy groceries online.
KPMG’s European Head of Technology comments: “The survey reveals that consumers around the globe adopt new technologies at a rapid pace and at the same time are increasingly willing to accept their data to be tracked if they get something in return. This represents a huge opportunity for all players in the digital ecosystem – retailers, advertisers, telecom operators and the financial industry. From buying goods on their mobile phones to keeping up with friends on social networks, consumers are increasingly reliant on a range of technologies that perform important – yet often overlapping – tasks. This new ‘converged lifestyle’ will have huge implications for retailers. The integration of various channels will become increasingly important as retailers begin to see many of their consumers move to online and application-based purchases. As the ubiquitous smartphones empowers the consumer retailers will need to understand the opportunities and risks that mobile devices present.”
The survey also reveals the extent to which smartphones and tablets are changing shopping behaviour, as highlighted in our blog of 18th November. 45% of UK respondents said they now use their mobile devices to locate the nearest store, 32% to research products and services, 30% for online coupons and 20% scan in barcodes to for product information. However, the report also shows that consumers’ concerns over privacy and data security have increased over the last few years and the majority of respondents said they still prefer to purchase luxury goods in store.
The report summarises that ‘we 
have more choice in devices than ever before and that this choice increasingly serves one purpose: to enable consumers to get what they want, when they want it and where they want it’.
