Average British Internet shopper spends £3,370 annually; on average, men spend £3,495 annually, women spend £3,210, finds study

Cindy Allen

Cindy Allen

LOS ANGELES , March 13, 2012 () – According to the 2012 WorldPay eCommerce Basket Survey, the average British Internet shopper spends £3,370 (US$5,285) annually, Internet Retailing reported March 12.

The study, which examined the online purchases of 2,000 people over the last 12 months, found that, on average, men annually spend £3,495 on online purchases and women spend £3,210.

While women outspent men on clothing and fashion (£315 to £188), men outspent women on travel (by £235), electronics (£145) and lifestyle/entertainment (£150).

A majority of respondents—60%—purchased items online a maximum of three times per month. An additional 10% purchased items online a minimum of 10 times per month, and 40% purchased items at least once per week.

While only 15% of respondents either rented or downloaded films, 57% of consumers purchased literature and books on the Internet. Respondents who purchased groceries over the Internet spent the most on alcoholic products (men spent £217, women spent £138), and were also most likely to purchase vegetables (32%) and fruit (31%).

Customers who purchased travel via the Internet were most likely to book some sort of accommodation (42%), while 38% purchased air travel. Annually, consumers spent at average of £1,608 on package holidays.

On average, women spent an average of £187 annually on handbags—the most spent on any clothing item—although they were most likely to purchase shoes (49%). Men who purchased clothing over the Internet were also most likely to purchase shoes (38%).

“Every day we hear reports that consumer spending is under pressure,” said WorldPay ecommerce products head Gabriel Hopkins, “but ecommerce continues to grow at a healthy rate. Men are renowned for avoiding shops, but they’re enthusiastic e-shoppers.

Hopkins added, “Men typically spend the most online except in the areas of fashion and clothing where women are power shoppers, spending almost twice as much. With more people than ever buying physical and virtual goods online, it’ll be intriguing to see whether this cultural shift has an impact on the ONS basket contents and value.”

The primary source of this article is Internet Retailing, London, England, on March 12, 2012.

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