Almost half of consumers plan to do their Christmas shopping using a mixture of online and in-store shopping, new research from NFU Mutual has found.

The study of more than 2,000 consumers found that women are generally more likely than men to take a multi-channel shopping (53 per cent versus 39 per cent respectively), with men 20 per cent more likely than women to shop online. Almost three-quarters of total consumers planned to do about the same amount of Christmas shopping as last year – with 14 per cent planning to increase their online purchases.

The ability to ‘try before you buy’ is the main reason for in-store shopping (63 per cent), followed by the convenience of purchasing on the spot (52 per cent). People are most put off by overcrowded shops (44 per cent), the cost of parking (31 per cent) and lengthy queues (17 per cent).

Frank Woods, retail and wholesales specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “As we draw ever closer to Christmas, many will still be considering where and how to go about their Christmas shopping. E-commerce has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years and, as a result, has made it much easier for consumers to purchase products in a manner convenient to them. However, this latest survey shows how consumers still value shopping in physical shops as it gives them the opportunity to ‘try before they buy’ and conveniently make purchases on the spot.

“It’s fantastic to see consumers still love the high street, but it is imperative that retailers address the concerns of shoppers such as overcrowding or car parking costs and also consider whether a multi-channel or omnichannel retail strategy would help them to appeal to more customers next year, which also brings fresh challenges such as tackling delivery expectations and online security.”

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