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Christmas profits at risk

CHRISTMAS PROFITS AT RISK AS A THIRD OF UK CONSUMERS REVEAL HEAVY SHOPPING BAGS LIMIT SPENDING

· New YouGov survey finds that 35 per cent of UK consumers limit the amount they buy in one day to avoid heavy shopping bags.

· 46 per cent of shoppers would sacrifice going out after Christmas shopping if they had multiple shopping bags with them.

· Same-day delivery service DropIt partners with leading retailers to rescue high-street revenue as Christmas shopping season starts.

As the last weekend before Christmas approaches, a new survey commissioned by DropIt has revealed that more than a third of UK consumers limit their in-store purchase volume to avoid having to carry heavy shopping bags. The findings highlight that high street retailers are at risk of losing profits this Christmas – unless they can help shoppers with the problem of heavy and inconvenient shopping bags.

Commissioned independently by new hands-free shopping service Dropit, a recent YouGov survey of more than 2000 UK consumers revealed that 35% of respondents sometimes limit the amount they buy in one day so that they don’t have to carry as many shopping bags.

The survey suggests that Dropit could help retailers significantly boost their profits in the lead up to Christmas. More than a third (36%) of survey respondents said they would be more inclined to do their Christmas shopping on the high street if they did not have to carry their shopping around with them afterwards.

Karin Cabili, founder of Dropit, says: “Consumers enjoy the hands-free experience of buying online, but they also want the benefits of high-street shopping: the ability to see products up-close, to try on clothes and to enjoy the social aspects of shopping with friends and family. Up until now, the inevitable prospect of being laden down with shopping bags has outweighed those benefits for many consumers. Dropit has the solution by removing the shopping bag problem, bringing the best of both worlds to consumers and enabling retailers to reap the benefits.”

Cabili adds: “We are already receiving enquiries for retailers finalising their Spring campaigns seeking to partner with us to ensure their customers can enjoy a seamless shopping experience.”

With no guarantee that consumers will return to the high street to complete the rest of their purchases, retailers are potentially facing millions in lost revenue due to shoppers rejecting the hassle of cumbersome multiple shopping bags.

This presents a fresh challenge to high street retailers, who are already fighting against the lure of their online competitors as the festive shopping season commences.

The survey found that UK consumers seek the major convenience associated with online shopping – namely home delivery. One in two (50%) respondents said they like online shopping because they can have their goods delivered to their door, while three in five (60%) respondents said they enjoy shopping online because of the convenient times at which they can shop.

Responding to the changing retail climate, a revolutionary hand’s free shopping service called Dropit has recently been launched to help boost in-store sales. The “shop and drop” service enables high street retailers to offer consumers the benefits of high-street and online shopping, while at the same time eliminating many of the problems posed by shopping bags.

Dropit launched in London in October with a range of luxury and high street retailers already signed up to the service. Participating stores include Armani Exchange, Barbour, Camper, Gap, Charles Tyrwhitt, Hunter, Jaeger, Juice Couture, Karen Millen, Lacoste, Liberty, River Island, Uniqlo and Wolford. Additional Dropit points are located across Regent Street.

The benefits of the service also extend to the hospitality and leisure industry. The survey revealed that nearly half (46%) of respondents would sacrifice going out after Christmas shopping if they had lots of shopping bags with them. With Dropit available to take care of consumers’ shopping bags, they are then free to spend their evening in restaurants, bars, theatres and cinemas surrounding the shops.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chloe Blows .