PayPal: Brits living in city centers increasingly turn to Internet to shop

Despite easy access to local shops and services, more and more British urbanites are turning to the Internet to shop, according to a new report by The Future Factory for PayPal UK.

by Helen Leggatt

With high streets and malls across Britain continuing to witness the shutting down of stores as a result of the recession, shoppers have turned to the Internet for a wider range of goods and, quite often, better prices.

Even those consumers that live in the heart of busy cities such as Glasgow and Manchester, with high streets and shopping malls on their doorsteps, have increased their online shopping over the last year. Almost half (49%) of those living in city centers have done so, mainly because home delivery services have become more reliable and convenient, found PayPal's report "Online Retail: The New Consumer Demands".

"Almost half of adults living in busy city centers now shop online more than a year ago, a trend which looks set to continue, especially as we love the convenience of having our shopping brought to our door, rather than having to carry heavy bags through Christmas crowds," said Carl Scheible, PayPal UK's managing director, via Internet Retailing.