Almost half (43 per cent) of UK online shoppers said they shopped more at stores within the UK rather than spending at internationally during the global lockdown.

A survey of 1,196 British consumers by e-commerce shipping platform Sendcloud found that the pandemic has driven a dramatic shift in UK consumer attitudes regarding online spending.

A third (32 per cent) have ordered from an international online store since the COVID-19 outbreak - an estimated 13 per cent drop from the 45 per cent who said they bought internationally in the 12 months before the pandemic.

Total of 69 per cent of British consumers were worried that the pandemic will lead to fewer bricks and mortar stores on the high street because of the rise in online purchasing.

Yet the average British consumer ordered 2.9 more products during the pandemic than they would have usually, while 38 per cent also said they were planning on buying more online after COVID-19 compared to before the lockdown measures came into place.

The results tally with recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, as despite online retail sales falling by seven per cent in July when compared with June, the strong growth experienced over the pandemic has meant that sales are still more than double that of February’s pre-pandemic levels.

Rob van den Heuvel, chief executive and co-founder at Sendcloud, said: “In the light of Brexit, it is likely that Brits will continue to shop more locally in the future - this offers huge opportunities for British online retailers to increase their customer base in the long-term.

"By offering a seamless shopping, checkout and delivery experience to their clients, UK retailers can build long-term customer relationships and gain a competitive advantage over international giant players.”

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