Specialist e-commerce provider Channel Advisor UK has carried out a consumer poll in order to measure how the recent lockdown will shape shopping habits in the future.

The survey asked a cross-section of 1,050 British shoppers how their attitudes towards shopping have changed in a socially distanced world. The results are a must-read for any independent retailer.

In the first week since non-essential stores were allowed to re-open, 60% of consumers had not yet visited a store, with the main reasons being “concern about catching Covid-19” and “wanting to avoid busy in-store shops and queues”. Clothes, shoes and accessories were the products most browsed in store.

Online research and retailing now has more of an effect than ever before, as 56% said they researched online more before shopping in-store than they did before lockdown, and this rises to 72% in the 18-25 age group.

Looking forward, there is positivity for local independent businesses, with 67% saying they plan to visit small local shops in the next month – way in front of shopping centres (35%) and retail parks (32%).

The full UK Life After Lockdown report from Channel Advisor can be downloaded here.