UK consumers are still spending, but how they shop, pay and discover products is diverging sharply across regions and generations, according to new data from ESW.
The findings form part of the global launch of ESW Signals, ESW’s new insights platform exploring evolving consumer behaviour, international commerce and digital shopping trends worldwide.
International shopping remains popular, but consumers continue to be deterred by fulfilment challenges. More than half of UK consumers (53%) say long delivery times are the biggest barrier to international purchases, while 48% cite shipping costs and 27% say duties and taxes deter purchases.
Meanwhile, value-conscious shopping is also accelerating recommerce behaviour as more than one in five UK consumers now buy second-hand items frequently, rising to 36% among Gen Z shoppers.
Jonathan Sheard, Regional VP of Sales, UK and Nordics, ESW said:
“Consumers are discovering products in more places and shopping internationally more frequently, but they still expect the purchase experience itself to feel trusted, transparent and reliable. For brands, that means growth increasingly depends on delivering localised customer experiences that reflect different consumer expectations market by market.”
