Parents cited a number of reasons for ditching crowded shops and taking advantage of the internet, but most did so for the sake of convenience (68 per cent). Other reasons included saving money (62 per cent), to save time (55 per cent), to browse a better selection (46 per cent) and a third (35 per cent) will do so to avoid queues.
Aaron Magness, a spokesperson for LensWay.co.uk, commented: “With tears and tantrums all but inevitable for parents who hit the shops with their children in tow, it’s not surprising that parents are turning their backs on the congested high street and using internet retailers to get their shopping done more cheaply and quickly. Online shopping for clothing and other items that people traditionaly ‘try on’ has also become easier and risk-free: retailers such as LensWay.co.uk offer a free trial service, where shoppers can order an item, try it on and then return it at no cost if it’s not right for them. Sales of our childrens’ glasses are always high around this time of year so this research confirms our suspicions – more and more people are opening their eyes to online shopping.”
Although parents have embraced new technology in order to shop more conveniently, old habits die hard and it seems that many parents still leave their shopping too late: more than a third (38 per cent) don’t finish shopping until the last week of holidays, one in twenty (5 per cent) will do theirs on the last day and 13 per cent will still be doing their shopping when their children are back in school.
Shopping online also appears to be helping parents to keep their costs under control: while a minority (8 per cent) anticipated spending more than £200, more than half thought they could spend less than £100, and a thrifty one in ten (11 per cent) expected to keep to a budget of £50.
A full range of eyewear for children and adults is available at LensWay.co.uk.
