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ALMOST HALF OF BRITS WORRIED TO GO SHOPPING DUE TO COVID

Isobel Lawrance 23rd Dec 2021 No Comments

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Shopper numbers on the high street have fallen this Christmas, after the news of a new COVID-19 variant and new restrictions have emerged. A new survey conducted by online moving marketplace, Shift, has revealed the growing concerns of millions of Brits who want to reduce contact when shopping due to the pandemic.

Almost half of those surveyed (46%), said they are worried about the contact between the buyer and seller when purchasing gifts or products in the run up to Christmas 2021. There was also similar worry when it came to purchasing things in the future, even after the festive period.

This has resulted in increased demand for delivery services, which could continue to rise into 2022. These services are the perfect solution for those who want to reduce contact with others whilst out shopping. With other people handling the pick-up and delivery of goods, people’s minds are put to ease.

Whilst the country adjusts to rising cases of the Omicron variant, the numbers of shoppers on the high street in the run up to Christmas have plummeted across the country.

Those who are most anxious about minimising contact when out shopping were respondents aged 55 and above. Many suggested that with the Coronavirus pandemic still affecting the country, they would prefer a service which minimises contact. 40% of those ages 16-24 said the same.

So, it’s no surprise, then, that 47% of those surveyed said they were more likely to use a third-party delivery service such as Shift, to collect an item, in comparison to five years ago. Other factors which contributed to this likelihood include increased availability of delivery services and rising fuel costs.

What the experts are saying
About Shift

What the experts are saying

Neil Carroll, Head of Customer Service at Shift, said:

“With the Omicron variant transmission rates, a major concern for many people across the country, it’s not surprising that shoppers are concerned about the number of contacts they have to make when buying a product or a gift when out shopping this Christmas. This could be a trend we see in the future. Buyers continue to change their shopping habits due to the pandemic. They look for reliable and smarter ways to book pick-up and delivery of goods. This minimises the risk to their health and safety.

“Delivery services like Shift can help alleviate some of these worries. Customers can use Shift to order a person and van service on demand as efficiently and sustainably as possible using clever tech and algorithms. The Shifters will then pick up and deliver any item of choice saving customers a trip to the shops.”

About Shift

Shift was founded four years ago by tech entrepreneur Jacob Corlett. It offers an easy way to order a delivery person and van service. Previously, the logistics industry has revolved around manual processes. This can be an inefficient way to provide a delivery or removal service. Shift is on demand and efficient.

Instead of having people manually routing bookings, Shift uses tech and data to map out drivers and fleets’ existing schedules, finding ‘dead time’, and matching it up with people who need to move stuff – be that as a third-party delivery service for online marketplaces such as eBay and Gumtree, or Ikea, in which Shift can arrange items bought online to be moved from the seller to the buyer.

For more information on Shift or to book a delivery service, visit www.shift.online.