The run-up to the recent general election saw the lowest level of online purchases over the course of the past year– with just over 1.5 million purchases, a drop of 59 per cent against the daily average.

This is according to new research from PCA Predict, which analysed 10 key moments over the past year for levels of online shopping among British consumers. From 2016-2017, UK consumers made close to four million purchases online on a daily average.

On the day of the EU referendum result, PCA Predict recorded a drop of 58 per cent against the daily average, while a drop of 56 per cent was recorded on the day that Article 50 was triggered. The day the government introduced a 137-word bill in Parliament to win the right to trigger Brexit saw a drop of 54 per cent against the daily average.

The fashion sector, across all of these key Brexit dates, performed consistently the best for online purchases, followed by the food and beverage industry.

Chris Boaz, head of marketing at PCA Predict, said: “Currently British consumers spend more than any other shoppers in Europe, accounting for nearly one third of all online purchases. Yet as our data shows, Brexit has seemingly shook consumers’ confidence.

“This has serious implications for online retailers and shows how hard they now need to work to not only gain, but also retain customers. If a consumer can’t easily purchase something online, via the checkout, then a retailer is in trouble.”

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