Britain has been labelled a nation of ASSes, anti-social shoppers that is, after it has been revealed that an increasing number of consumers are using mobile technology to shop in less than orthodox situations.
Research from www.giveasyoulive.com has shown that almost half (48%) of Brits shop online in bed, 1 in 10 (11%) on the toilet. A further 1 in 10 (11%) of those surveyed admitted to shopping online whilst dining or drinking out – a sign that the rise of smartphones and tablets means that shopping is now invading social occasions.
Perhaps unsurprisingly it was men who were identified as the pioneers of anti-social shopping. 13% of men were happy to shop whilst on the loo and whilst dining out, as opposed to only 7% and 9% of women.
Steff Lewis, Head of Consumer Insights at Give as you Live, said: “The ability to compare prices and product reviews means that internet shopping has become a staple for many of us – but there‘s a time and a place!
Across the UK, Manchester were name as the worst for duvet surfing with a huge two thirds (59%) of locals shopping from a sedentary position. Meanwhile, Belfast residents appear to be fans of toilet shopping with 22% of residents admitting to lavatory purchasing. York residents proved themselves not so outdated: inhabitants of the ancient city are the most anti-social in the UK with 18% unable to stay away from the web whilst dining and drinking out.
Give as you Live is a social enterprise which aims to make the most of Britain‘s ‘quirky‘ shopping habits by ensuring that a small percentage of each spend goes to a charity of the consumers choice.
Steff Lewis added, “If you‘re going to shop in bizarre situations, you should at least support UK charities at the same time to elevate that anti-social behaviour somewhat. Give as you Live is the only price comparison site where every purchase helps charity; so whether you‘re buying lingerie on the loo or DVDs on a date, make sure you support a good cause while you‘re doing it.”
To date, Give as you Live has helped to raise over £4.8 million for UK charities. There are now over 3,500 online retailers are taking part, from Tesco to Amazon, Selfridges to lastminute.com, ASOS.com and many more.
