Online auction site, eBay, has revealed the seasonal shifts in British buying habits, with people using sites offering online shopping to prepare for various music festivals and other events throughout the summer.

Last month, there were a number of festival-oriented trends identified, including the 40 per cent rise in the number of people searching for the term ‘wellies’ on eBay. This is clearly in preparation for bad weather making conditions underfoot a little less than ideal at festivals including Latitude and Glastonbury.

The study also found that people search generically for products linked to the term ‘festival’ in the last few days before a major event is scheduled to take place. This is presumably in order to buy any items which they might have forgotten about before then.

It is not just wellington boots that people look for via safe shopping online to get ready for a festival in the UK, as waterproof jackets are another top item that rises through the search ranks at about this time of year, increasing by almost a quarter. Although perhaps, this puts a rather depressing spin on the kind of weather that people can expect to experience if they do decide to visit anything taking place outdoors.

In fact, analysts found that weather forecasts are instrumental in dictating how people search for and purchase products online. If things are looking bad, then there will invariably be a big leap in people searching for items that will help them escape the worst of the weather while still enjoying their time.

Of course, unpredictable weather conditions are all part of the UK festival experience and the fact that online shopping outlets are so reliable in their delivery of vital products, is indicated by the fact that people are happy to leave their precautionary purchasing until the last minute.