Around nine out of ten people in the UK have decided to avoid bricks and mortar retail outlets wherever possible in order to avoid exposing themselves to the risks of catching the coronavirus, meaning many are adopting safe shopping online to ensure they can still get their retail fix.

This is according to the results of the latest survey conducted by RetailX, which also revealed that 44 per cent of consumers intend to keep up their new shopping habits further down the line when non-essential shops are open on a wider basis.

Just over a quarter of respondents said that their visits to physical stores had been halted altogether, while 62 per cent said that they had dramatically limited their visits in response to the pandemic.

Even with an easing of restrictions related to the nationwide lockdown on the horizon, it seems that the threat of the virus is still looming large in the minds of many consumers, meaning that it is simply safer and more convenient to take advantage of online delivery services for a contact-free experience.

Less than a tenth of people questioned in the study said that they had stuck to their guns and kept going to real-world stores just as regularly as prior to lockdown, although how this is achievable given the widespread temporary closures is hard to grasp.

Around half of consumers expect that they will return to their old habits when the lockdown has ended and all stores are open again, although this means that for many millions of Brits the way they spend their money will never be the same again. This is something that retailers will need to account for as they try to cope with this constantly evolving situation.