Irish Consumers Want to Buy Online

A few days ago a new report was published by IEDR, the company behind the .ie domain name, and Digital Business Ireland which highlights the massive switch to online.

Some key takeaways from the report (which was based on a sample of 1000 Irish consumers):

74% of Irish consumers are put off by the restrictions imposed on physical retail95% of Irish consumers shop online at least some of the timeSince the pandemic there has been a noted switch to Irish online shops

The full report goes into some of the other trends about online shopping, but the key takeaway is that both consumers and retail see online sales combined with offline or some combination of both, such as "click and collect", becoming more common. The graphic above illustrates in a bit more detail how consumer attitudes have changed due to restrictions due to social distancing and other limits, as well as the overall level of "comfort" people have.

Have you shopped more online…

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  • August 23, 2020
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Delays & Lead Times

Over the past couple of weeks many online shops have seen a considerable increase in both traffic and orders. While overall this is probably a "good problem" to have it is not without its challenges.

Many retailers, both online and offline are struggling to keep up with demand while maintaining safe conditions for their employees and clients.

Personally I've noticed that several sites are being forced to close to standard online orders for several days at a time while they deal with the backlog.

So my personal advice to you would be to be patient.

If you can plan your shopping further in advance. While some online shops have plenty of stock, others are reporting that they are several days or even weeks behind their normal timelines.

Also expand your options a little. If you normally shop online with a particular chain why not try a different one? They might have delivery slots available. Or, even better, buy stuff from a …

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  • April 1, 2020
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Buy Food Online

While many of the supermarkets that offer online delivery might be having problems with capacity at the moment, there are still a lot of independent food companies that sell online.

This site is a simple directory of Irish food companies that are selling and taking orders online.

Some of them have full online stores with home delivery, while others might be offering a much simpler service with "click and collect" or some other variation.

If you can shop from the safety and comfort of your home it's better for everyone!

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  • March 28, 2020
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