December 2012
Featured in this insight: Consumer goods & FMCG , IT & telecommunications, Regulation, Retail
International survey sees UK topping list for online use: A global survey by communications regulator Ofcom has shown that the UK is leading the way when it comes to Internet shopping.
The International Communications Market Report found that Britons spend more online than any other country – averaging over £1,000 per person. Australians rank second at £842 per head, followed by Sweden at £747.
Britons also use their mobile phones to visit social networking sites more than any other country, with 62% of 18 to 24 year-olds and 40% of older adults doing so regularly.
Furthermore, the UK public are also more likely to access TV shows using the Internet, with 23% doing so every week compared with 17% in the US.
At 41%, Britain also has one of the highest proportions of homes with high-definition TV, while 15% of UK consumers own a smart TV which enables online access.
In addition, for the first time UK consumers are now downloading more data on their mobiles and tablets than any other major nation.
Ofcom's Director of Research, James Thickett, commented: "Our research reveals that the UK leads the way in using the internet on the move. Increasingly, it's mobile devices like smartphones and tablets that are driving this growing demand for data… We have a long history of catalogue shopping in the UK, and as many daily activities are increasingly carried out online, the Internet has become the new destination for many shoppers."
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