The latest report from Nielsen has looked at the state of the international e-commerce market, revealing that a quarter of the world’s population have already indulged in some form of safe shopping online.

With respondents from 60 countries questioned, the study represents a broad selection of the global community and reveals that even with internet access being limited in many areas, there is an enthusiasm for e-commerce almost everywhere.

Fifty five per cent of those yet to experience safe shopping online said that they were looking forward to being able to do so at some point further down the line, once delivery services have been rolled out in their regions.

There is even more enthusiasm for m-commerce, perhaps as a result of the fact that getting wireless mobile internet access is easier than fixed line connectivity in isolated parts of the globe.

The majority of respondents also said that they would be interested in taking advantage of click & collect services for delivery, rather than relying on goods being sent directly to their doorsteps. And since transport infrastructures in developing nations may not support full home delivery, the click & collect approach may really take off.

Report spokesperson, Patrick Dodd, explained that online shopping was a great solution for any consumers that do not have much time on their hands to dedicate to real world retail but would, instead, prefer to place orders via e-commerce.

Crucially, the study also revealed that even with the growing enthusiasm for online shopping, people across the world are similarly keen to keep bricks and mortar outlets alive and kicking, especially when it comes to grocery shopping. Fifty seven per cent said that a trip to the supermarket was a fun way to spend time with the family.

Whether or not Brits agree with this is a different matter, but the UK’s online market leads the way in terms of penetration.