Irish online shoppers splash out

Irish online shoppers spent in excess of €2 billion last year, according to a new survey.

The survey, by Visa Europe, shows that women are the big spenders online and the average Irish shopper spends €1,450 online per year.

It also discovered that the average Irish worker spends 55 hours per year browsing for goods on the internet between the 9am and 5.30pm. That’s over one full working week every year.

Half of the people surveyed also believe they can save up to 30% by buying goods on the internet compared to the high street.

The research found that flights and holidays are the most popular online purchase, with 83% of respondents having purchased these in 2009.

“People are turning to the internet for all types of purchases. Whether it’s booking cinema tickets for a simple treat or buying flights for a much-needed escape, consumers are shopping online because it’s convenient and secure,” said Conor Langford, vice-president, Ireland at Visa Europe.

“Apart from the competitive choice offered by internet retailers, we are also seeing consumers shop online because they feel more confident about using their payment card in that environment … but only 62pc of shoppers know what their consumer rights are when buying online, so we would always urge people to do their research if they are unsure.”