Almost a fifth (17 per cent) of Brits use social apps to shop and one in ten (11 per cent) have begun making purchases this way since the Coronavirus restrictions began in March.

The survey of 2,000 UK consumers conducted by Opinium on behalf of Visa showed that this trend is likely to continue growing, with over a third (36 per cent) of those surveyed planning to continue purchasing this way in the future.

The research revealed that social media-fuelled purchases accounted for 24 per cent of online purchases in the past six months. Clothing and accessories are the most popular social purchases (37 per cent), followed by homeware (29 per cent) and electronics (20 per cent).

Being able to buy things with just a swipe and a click is key, with 35 per cent of 'swipe up shoppers' surveyed stating that they enjoy the convenience, while 26 per cent like the speed.

Although they love quick and convenient purchases, many of those involved in the survey admitted to not always checking third party reviews of the website (57 per cent) and not always checking refund and exchange policies before purchasing (54 per cent).

Over half (58 per cent) of those who engaged in this way of shopping said their purchases did not live up to expectations and a further 38 per cent were still chasing refunds or trying to return items. Just one in five said they have received a full refund via the method they paid, yet 88 per cent claimed they still remain out of pocket for at least one of their purchases.

Share Story: