A new YouGov poll has revealed that 31 per cent of British consumers who carried out safe shopping online in the run up to Christmas 2014 were waylaid by some form of delivery problem, according to Yahoo News.

Missed deliveries were a problem for half of the affected group, while 45 per cent complained that the deliveries were either late, or did not arrive at all.

There was much coverage and consternation surrounding major delivery foul-ups prior to the festive break, with big companies, like Yodel, failing to fulfil many orders because they were overburdened by business.

It seems that this state of affairs may actually be changing consumer habits, since 39 per cent of respondents to the new study said that they took advantage of click and collect as Christmas approached. This meant that rather than waiting for items to be delivered direct to their homes, they could pick up their order at their local bricks and mortar store.

Fifty three per cent of people who went with click and collect said that they had done so because it was the most convenient option for them, while an even larger 61 per cent slice admitted that click and collect was appealing because it does not come with a delivery charge.

About a third of click and collect fans said that they are planning to use this type of delivery option more regularly in 2015. But there were some complaints that this service was hampered by the lack of staff numbers in store to deal with the lines of people looking to pick up items they had ordered online.

Now that Christmas is over, retailers can regain their composure and assess the successes and failures of the festive season, with click and collect no doubt being a big talking point.