Three-quarters of people aged under 35 make purchases based on the ads they have seen while browsing the internet or using their smartphones, according to a new study from Adroit.

The power of e-commerce marketing campaigns is so strong that they even hold sway over older consumers, with the level of influence dipping to just 73 per cent amongst those who do not fall into the Millennial age group.

So even when people are not actively carrying out safe shopping online, their browsing habits will influence what they buy and where they shop, and the ads they encounter will have a very strong effect.

73 per cent of Millennials also said that they will be swayed to visit a particular retailer or food outlet if they view an ad or receive a marketing message of some kind from a given company within a specific area while they are on the move. And smart devices are making it easier for retailers to target people with promotions on a geographic basis.

55 per cent of respondents said that they are most likely to have their buying decisions swayed by sites which are dedicated to providing reviews of products and services. So the influence of both professional criticism and customer feedback can be seen as holding sway over many sessions of safe shopping online.

Over two-thirds of those questioned said that when retailers offer the ability to make a purchase with just a single click of the mouse, they are more likely to commit to a sale. This means that retailers are sure to roll out a more streamlined approach to e-commerce in response to this preferential treatment received by sites that have already adopted a one-click approach, including major online outlets such as Amazon and its rivals.