A new report, published by Hermes, has found that the UK is still leading the way when it comes to carrying out safe shopping online, with Brits outdoing both German and French consumers in the amount they spend and how regularly they spend it via the web.

Close to a third of those from the UK who responded to the study said that they have used an e-commerce site to make a purchase at least once in the past three months, compared to just 14 per cent of consumers in France and 10 per cent of those from Germany, who admitted to similarly consistent online retail habits.

A total of 4,000 people participated in the study, which found that close to half of UK consumers are intending to increase the amount of online shopping they do over the coming 12 months.

It is not just the proportion of Brits who use the web to make purchases that is impressive, but the extent to which consumers from the UK are willing to try out different online retail sites that sets them apart from the rest of Europe.

Seventy three per cent of British buyers said that they are turning to a broader variety of sites offering safe shopping online, to increase the number of products they can access and pick up and also to allow them to purchase items at lower prices.

But the amount of choice and low cost offered in the online arena is not the only thing convincing more people from the UK to flock to the web; the study found that the quality of delivery services is another important factor. People in the UK are even happy to pay more for shipping, if they can get the item on the same day as they order it, putting them ahead of their European counterparts in more ways than one.