Commuters now spend £9.3bn via smartphones and tablets

New research reveals that 20% of all UK online shopping purchases now happen during people’s daily commute.

New research reveals that 20% of all UK online shopping purchases now happen during people’s daily commute.

The research from Zapp, a mobile payments company, and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has found that ‘Commuter Commerce’ now accounts for £9.3bn each year as commuters make the most of faster internet speeds and, more crucially, Wi-Fi on public transport, including in 150 London underground stations.

During the commute, Britons spend £36 per week on average, a figure that rises to £44 per week for London commuters.

In fact, the amount spent by London commuters accounts for nearly two-thirds (£5.9bn) of the total spend nationally.

Clothing is the most popular item on commuters shopping lists, with 71% of commuting Britons purchasing their favourite fashions on the way to work on an average week.

Digital downloads are a close second with 68% saying they paid for digital entertainment and media during their commute.  A further 65% said they purchased DVD and CD’s and other entertainment media during an average week of commuting.

“People in Britain spend more online per head than any other nation, and it seems our love affair with online shopping now also extends to the morning rush hour. The data shows that commuter commerce is booming in the UK as savvy commuters use their time efficiently to make the purchases they just don’t have time for normally,” said Zapp CEO Peter Keenan.

Ordering groceries (62%) and takeaways (60%) were also popular with commuters.

When asked why people spend during their commute, the most popular reason given was “to pass the time”, followed by it simply being “the most convenient time to shop”.

The peak morning rush (from 7am until 9am) sees the biggest spike in shopping, when 1.5m commuters are estimated to be shopping.

“If you got on the 7:32 from Brighton to London this morning, it is likely that almost a third of your train would have been using their mobile device to shop,” said the Zapp team.

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