Four out of five consumers from the UK who were questioned in a new survey from Bronto Software said that they would be willing to think about the concept of making a cross-border purchase online, according to Internet Retailing.

The study also revealed that 44 per cent of people have already taken advantage of international shipping to buy items from sites which operate in other countries.

There are a number of reasons behind this emerging trend, with almost two thirds of consumers saying that they were forced to look to overseas outlets in order to pinpoint the more unusual items that could not be found among British retailers.

Half of those questioned said that they would be compelled to shop across international boundaries if they were able to save money by doing so.

People under the age of 35 are most likely to have indulged in cross-border e-commerce activities, with the 16 to 24 age group being particularly ardent in its support of this practice. Men were also found to be slightly more swayed by international excursions into the world of safe shopping online than women.

Thirty eight per cent of people who have shopped with overseas retailers online said that they do this on a monthly basis or perhaps more regularly, with the US being the most popular and trusted place for international retailers in the eyes of Brits.

In spite of this generally positive attitude towards cross-border e-commerce, almost nine in 10 people believe that there are still obstacles to overcome before the experience is optimised. This includes things like lowering the cost of delivery, reducing import taxes and enhancing the security of payment methods which are available, so that people can buy with confidence whenever they decide to shop online.