US shoppers trust the authenticity of UK retailers

The average US shopper spends 86 dollars (66 pounds) per month on UK websites, according to a study commissioned by the Royal Mail, as they are significantly more likely to trust the authenticity of a UK retailer.

The research reveals that one in seven (14 percent) American online shoppers have purchased from a UK site in the last three months, with clothing and books the most popular purchases.

The main reason American shoppers buy from UK retailers the report reveals is to purchase items that are exclusive to the UK (43 percent), products that are better quality (21 percent) and items that they know will be genuine (19 percent).

In addition, nine in ten of these shoppers trust items purchased from UK sites not to be fake, while three-quarters (74 percent) buy from UK sites when products are not available locally and 71 percent note that the “like” to purchase British brands.

In terms of how US shoppers are making their purchases, the report notes that half of US consumers make purchases via their smartphone, up from 32 percent in 2015, compared to the International average of 44 percent and UK average of 39 percent, while 80 percent use a laptop or desktop to make online purchases and 24 percent use a tablet.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said in a press release: “It’s important for retailers to understand the distinct shopping habits of consumers in different countries. Shoppers in the US are regularly purchasing goods online and increasingly using their smartphone to do so. Clothes and books are particularly popular but it’s interesting to see that Americans are more likely to purchase healthcare products than the International average.”