Investigating Business Data: Impact of COVID on UK Online Shopping

This report investigates the rise of online shopping in the UK before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing secondary data to analyze changing consumer behavior and the impact of technology on e-commerce. It compares online shopping rates across retail sectors, highlighting the significant growth in household goods and food stores during the pandemic. The analysis incorporates descriptive statistical measures and statistical inference techniques to explore the relationship between online shopping trends and factors like gender, age, and education. The report concludes that COVID-19 and technological advancements have transformed customer behavior, leading to increased online shopping, and discusses the implications for businesses adapting to the evolving e-commerce landscape.

Researching Business Data

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
DATA INTERPRETATION...........................................................................................................3
Rise of online shopping before, during and after Covid-19 in the UK........................................3
Interpretation of data....................................................................................................................5
Information Analysis.......................................................................................................................6
Descriptive statistical measures...................................................................................................6
Association by using statistical inference techniques..................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Online shopping is a process by which customers buy goods and services directly from
seller over the internet. As with increased technology, rate of online shopping has increased to
the great extent. The reason behind increment in online shopping include: easy access to digital
media platforms, time and cost saving. Covid-19 was the main changing factor that affected
companies to the great extent (Rita, Oliveira and Farisa, 2019). On the basis of secondary data, it
is found that after covid-19, people started shopping online rather purchasing products offline.
The reason behind it was because of fear of getting affected from corona virus. People was not
allowed to gather at one place so, as per this, online shopping rate increased. The reason behind
selecting this topic is knowing changing environment and impact of technology on E-commerce
companies. This study is going to compare data of online shopping before, during and after
covid-19 in order to know changing behaviour of people and impact of technologies. It will also
help out in knowing rise of E-commerce. On the basis of results and outcomes, we can help
offline stores in going online along with reasons. It can increase employment opportunities and
economic condition as well. It is one of my interesting topics and it is another reason of selecting
this topic. It will increase knowledge regarding online shopping, new current trends and others.
This report will gather secondary data because of easy access. Collecting secondary data is
better than collection of primary data as it saves time and cost as well. There are some online
sites where data has been published about online shopping and it would be easier to compare and
knowing whether there is a rise or decline in online shopping (Tzeng and et.al., 2021). It would
help out in accomplishing goal. Further, it will measure overall performance by statistical
method such as mean, mode and median. It will further discuss rise in online activities by
children during and after covid-19.
MAIN BODY
DATA INTERPRETATION
Rise of online shopping before, during and after Covid-19 in the UK
Online shopping trend is increasing day by day and year by year. One of the main reason behind
it is: easier accessibility. There are some data that also show changes in online shopping. By
comparing rate of online shopping before, during and after covid-19, we can measure difference.

Some data on which basis, it can be measured as whether there is rise in online shopping after
convid-19 or not.
Figure 1: Average value of sales of 2019 and 2020
On the basis of above data, it can be said that there is rise in online shopping in retail sector,
departmental stores, food stores household and other stores. Only non-store retailing was the
sector where there was no growth or rise in online shopping after covid-19 (Ali, 2020).
Household goods stores was the sector where there was great rise in online shopping and decline
in offline shopping. It is the sector that provides all essential or basic needs of items to people
and after covid-19, people became afraid to go outside. so, they started buying products online.
So, on the basis of this data, it can clearly be said that there is growth in online shopping.
Food stores was the one that have seen the largest increase in online sales at the time of Covid-
19. At the time of Covid-19 and in the month of July and August when people were allowed to
buy food online, sales of food stores in online shopping was nearly doubled as compared to data
before Covid-19 (Dalgleish,2020. How the Covid 19 Pandemic has Accelerated the Shift to
Online Spending.). Along with this large supermarket also shown a huge surge in click and
collect and delivery orders. Employees took risk at the time of Covid-19 by delivering products
to customers. But it was the only source of income for them. 3 months of strict lockdown
affected people as they lost their jobs so, they were bind to do such jobs. It changed behaviour of

customers of buying products online. So, after covid-19, online shopping rate is increasing
because it has made easier for people to get products at their home door. Overall, it can be said
that covid-19 as well as advanced technologies has changed behaviour of customers and it has
increased online shopping trends (Naeem, 2021).
The pandemic has changed the complete scenario of online shopping in the UK. It has
been found from various studies that, during the pandemic there was a high rate of increment in
online shopping. The concept of social distancing results in evolving the growth rate of online
shopping. In retail sector, large number of transactions has been made between the firm and the
customers. E-commerce has been on a driven rate during the pandemic. Before COVID-19, in
UK the online shopping was already on a high note. But, the transactions were mainly made for
selected products such as: fashion accessories, tourism travel, hotel bookings and digital
entertainment. During the pandemic, the online transactions has been made in every sector.
Large number of students has made transactions in order to buy online courses, many people
bought the medical products with the help of digital marketing. And the retail sector shows the
high profit in terms of online sales.
Interpretation of data
Figure 2 shopping online in the UK 2020
While this could be states about how the people have changes their mind in shopping and
prefer to online shopping, in having such kind of data this could represent about the shopping
online and this could raise due to having covid-19. This have been also seems that before covid-
19, no raise in data of the online shopping and this could led many of the business for working
with many efforts for keeping their customer as long term (Flynn and et.al., 2020). Along with

this have been seems that many of the customer have become online shopping king and they are
purchasing huge amount of products and services. While this could also led them for knowing
about how the how the rates of online shopping percent that have been increasing day-by-day
within year. E-commerce have also taken the huge place through which the people have selected
the online payment mode and this could be more easier for them.
Figure 3 online retail sale in United Kingdom 2012-2020
Information Analysis
Descriptive statistical measures
In 2019, this could be seems that United Kingdom have keep their growth with internet
sales nearly represented by 20% of retail sales. The most figures that can recent figures about the
office national statistics (UK), the country with having e-commerce in 2019, about the 693
million GDP. The office for national statistics shows about the august data in 2021, online sales
department that have been increased and declined by 14.3%, online food selling that have been
increased which have been showed no changes to the same month as previous years (Oxford
Analytica, 2020). Likewise, household goods stores about remained stables with having some
high increasing and make sure about their 0.3 percent growth in that month. This have been also
seems that, more than half of the UK consumer are now shopping online and spend more
forecast to increasing by 29.6% between 2019 and 2024, as per retail analysts at global data. The
online shopping that have been increased due to which the rate for the store have been also

increased and that could also create huge amount of discount for them. Along with this, network
looks at the growth for the online shopping at UK using some more high hosting of industry
insights and data. The online shopping that have become so fast within the market size
(calculated as means with 25%) at least once per month (Hall and et.al., 2020). The majority
about 59% of these shoppers bought more about cloths items and keeping 47% from their online
websites. At 2019, the digital buyers that could penetration rate worldwide with 47.3% and this
could not create mush huge difference for shopping online which could make their retailing
business.
In near future, small retailers that could keep about may be 30% higher rate than mobile
conversion rates rather than compared to keeping larger retailers. Shopping online, that have
been increased their sales and keeping them organization for working with their 30% rate for
their customer. Along with this also come to know about how basically, the concepts for the e-
commerce sales account for 14.1% of retail purchases worldwide. Since, online shopping that
have been grown up with optimized for user experience and something is so easiest for
inconvenient return policy deters with having 80% of people (Shahmohammadi and et.al., 2020).
Moreover, including more about products and services 88% of the customer think about detailed
page products and make sure about how usually this could work for them. This could be also
seems that, 67 percent of the customer generally, prefer window shopping for fun and sometime
that could keep their shopping while by buying some products and services. Therefore, 2020 data
unsurprisingly saw clothing and fashion that could become the part with e-commerce industry
and household shopping with e-learning arrangements for worldwide share with some online

shopping data. This could be also seems that, in 2020, 99.31 sales in billion that could take place
through online shopping in UK. In 2019, 76.04 sales in billion which seems to be high than 2018
(69.71%) data.
Association by using statistical inference techniques
There are number of factors that shows relationship with online shopping such as:
Descriptive Statistics
Mean Std. Deviation N
Gender 1.4000 .50262 20
Age 2.4000 .99472 20
Education 2.4000 1.04630 20
Online
shopping 1.3500 .48936 20
From the above, this could be seems that in online shopping no gender and age that could
be consider within given data. While this both play the important through which the growth and
development for the organization and countries that could be take place. Education system that
have been also changes due to having the huge technology and becoming more high digitally
online through which many of the students are using many more other platforms (Deo, 2020).
Therefore, online shopping rate with 1.3500 this could be mean and std, deviation about how
year that could led them with having the .48936 data. According to the above data, this could be
showing more about the descriptive statistics data for online shopping through which they can
clear many more concepts and usually make sure about how this could deal with them and
keeping the high growth for their organization.
Correlations
Control Variables Gender Age Education
onlineshopping
Gender
Correlation 1.000 -.047 .308
Significance (2-
tailed) . .847 .199
df 0 17 17
Age Correlation -.047 1.000 -.096

Significance (2-
tailed) .847 . .695
df 17 0 17
Education
Correlation .308 -.096 1.000
Significance (2-
tailed) .199 .695 .
df 17 17 0
On the basis of above data, it can be said that online shopping trend is related with gender, age
and educational factors. Male bachelor customers of 25 age are more likely to focus on online
shopping. This data shows reasons and interrelation of online shopping with other factors.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it had been concluded that, online shopping rate that have been
increased due to having the covid-19 and this could also help the business for working with
many things. Along with this also discussed about the derivation and correlation for which the
concepts about how this could work for them and make their business for working with business
economy growth and developments. This have been also seemed that office for national statistics
which could help for knowing about the percent for developing and how this could help them for
knowing about many new things for their countries and business or organization. In having such
things this keep the estimation about many concepts and make sure about how usually the
growth and development for the objective and goals about their organization at online shopping.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Ali, B., 2020. Impact of COVID-19 on consumer buying behavior toward online shopping in
Iraq. Ali, BJ (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on consumer buying behavior toward online
shopping in Iraq. Economic Studies Journal, 18(42), pp.267-280.
Deo, B., 2020. Assessing Optimal Employee Density & Shrink at Retail Chain Level. In IIE
Annual Conference. Proceedings (pp. 586-591). Institute of Industrial and Systems
Engineers (IISE).
Flynn, D. and et.al., 2020. COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Health Policy and
Technology. 9(4). pp.673-691.
Hall, S. and et.al., 2020. Prioritising business model innovation: What needs to change in the
United Kingdom energy system to grow low carbon entrepreneurship?. Energy Research
& Social Science. 60. p.101317.
Naeem, M., 2021. Do social media platforms develop consumer panic buying during the fear of
Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, p.102226.
Oxford Analytica, 2020. Retail sales will be key to global GDP recovery. Emerald Expert
Briefings, (oxan-es).
Rita, P., Oliveira, T. and Farisa, A., 2019. The impact of e-service quality and customer
satisfaction on customer behavior in online shopping. Heliyon. 5(10). p.e02690.
Shahmohammadi, S. and et.al., 2020. Comparative greenhouse gas footprinting of online versus
traditional shopping for fast-moving consumer goods: A stochastic
approach. Environmental science & technology. 54(6). pp.3499-3509.
Tzeng, S.Y. and et.al., 2021. Factors affecting customer satisfaction on online shopping
holiday. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.
Online
Dalgleish, R., 2020. How the Covid 19 Pandemic has Accelerated the Shift to Online Spending.
[Online]. Available through: < https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2020/09/18/how-the-covid-19-
pandemic-has-accelerated-the-shift-to-online-spending/>
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