A new study from Criteo has found that the majority of consumers in the UK are fans of omnichannel retail, meaning that they are just as comfortable buying via safe shopping online as they are visiting a high street outlet.

Internet Retailing reports that 83 per cent of respondents to the survey confirmed themselves as committed ‘omnishoppers’ which again confirms the UK as a global leader when it comes to adopting new shopping habits.

In terms of the omnichannel experience, click and collect was found to be the most widely used and beneficial feature, which combines online and in-store ecosystems to great effect. Almost two thirds of those questioned said that they took advantage of this delivery option from time to time, while 28 per cent said they were regular users.

Seventy two per cent of Brits said that when given the opportunity, they would rather use safe shopping online to buy items than have to visit a bricks and mortar store. Yet in spite of this, three quarters said that they still have positive feelings about visiting the high street, something which bodes well for the future of the industry as a whole.

Fifty five per cent said that the location of a store was crucial to determining whether or not they would visit it or buy online instead. Furthermore, 57 per cent said that they were fans of ‘showrooming’, or using their smartphone while in a physical outlet to get firsthand experience of an item which they would then buy online.

Getting the omnichannel experience right is definitely a challenge that not all retailers have succeeded in overcoming, but it is one which can allow them to reap valuable rewards going forwards, as more consumers fall into the category of ‘omnishopper’.