76% of the UK adults reported buying goods or services over the internet in the last 12 months

In 2015, more than three quarters (76%) of adults reported buying goods or services over the internet in the last 12 months, up from 53% in 2008. Younger adults have embraced internet shopping, with 65% of those aged 16 to 24 purchasing over the internet in 2008, rising to 90% in 2015, according to the  Office for National Statistics from UK.  This was twice the proportion of adults aged 65 and over (42%) who bought online in 2015. However, there was large growth in the rate of online purchasing by those aged 65 and over, rising from 16% in 2008.

Of those adults who had purchased online in the last 3 months, 42% made purchases totalling £100 to £499, 12% made purchases of less than £50, and 9% made purchases of £2,000 or more.

Of those adults who had bought over the internet in the last 3 months, 28% had done so 11 or more times, while 22% had done so only once or twice. Adults aged 35 to 44 purchased most often, with 42% buying online 11 times or more in the last 3 months.

In 2015, adults who had bought or ordered goods or services online were asked about problems they may have encountered. The most common problems encountered were “technical failure of website during ordering or payment” and “speed of delivery slower than indicated”, both at 27%. However, 50% reported that they had not encountered any problems with internet purchasing.

Adults who had not bought over the internet in the last 12 months were asked why this was. The most common reason, given by 58%, was that they “preferred to shop in person”. “Payment security or privacy concerns” were cited by 27% of these adults and “lack of skills or knowledge” by 19%.

In 2015, 78% of adults (39.3 million) in Great Britain used the internet every day or almost every day. This was more than double the proportion of adults (35%) that used the internet daily in 2006, when directly comparable records began.
In 2015, 86% of households in Great Britain (22.5 million) had internet access, up from 57% in 2006.

Related file – Office for National Statistics – Internet Access for HouseHold and individuals 2015-pdf