Online shopping in the UK continues is to gain a foothold, with the average online spending rate per shopper increasing to GBP 71 per month, a recent study has unveiled.

According to the survey carried out by e-commerce technology developer eCommera, 42 percent of respondents have admitted making online purchases at least once a week and more than a third of shoppers have increased their online spending over the past year.

When asked as to why they prefer to shop online, 60 percent of participants have mentioned the price as the most important factor followed by home delivery convenience (51 percent). Moreover, 71 percent of respondents were shown to rely on recommendations provided by family members and friends when choosing their shopping website whereas 46 percent claim that knowledge of the retailer from its high street presence was a factor weighing in on their choice.

However, when required to name some of the most significant reasons that would keep them away from shopping online, 42 percent of respondents have pinpointed poor images and insufficient product descriptions provided by e-tailers, followed by poor navigation (32 percent), concerns about payment security (26 percent) and prolonged checkout processes (16 percent).