Electronics top buy as Irish spend €2.4bn online

Irish adults spend more than €2.4bn online each year, according to a recent survey.

The research, conducted by Nightline delivery service Parcel Motel, revealed that the majority of consumers consider buying online a cheaper and more convenient option than traditional shopping.

More than 6,000 individuals took part in the poll — over a third of whom expect their online spend to increase in 2015.

Electronics were found to be the most popular products bought online by Irish people, with more than €420m spent annually.

This spending is largely driven by men, who spend five times as much on electronics than women.

Perhaps predictably, clothing is the most popular item bought by women online, accounting for an annual €282m.

However, men are also frequent visitors of clothes websites, buying €130m worth of clothing online each year.

Men also spend nearly three times more than women on adult toys, with women spending nearly three times as much on lingerie.

Surprisingly, men and women spend a similar amount of money on jewellery, with an overall annual spend of €56m.

In terms of children’s toys, the highest spending comes from those aged between 35 and 44.

Speaking at the launch of the research yesterday, John Tuohy, CEO of Nightline, said: “Online shopping is booming in Ireland, with people making more transactions and spending bigger amounts than ever before.”

“One of the main reasons people are turning to online shopping is the convenience factor, particularly in the run up to Christmas.”

Nightline, Ireland’s largest parcel delivery business, delivers 1m parcels a month, and puts the annual value of online purchases it handles in excess of €114m. Top buys

Top three products men buy online:

-Consumer electronics — €338m

-Clothing — €130m

-Mobile phones and accessories — €126m

Top three products women buy online:

-Clothing — €282m

-Footwear — €86m

-Clothing accessories, handbags and luggage — €84m