Online shopping is driving up van traffic, says RAC Foundation

The steady increase in online shopping is driving an increase in levels of van traffic across the UK, the RAC Foundation has said.

According to the Department for Transport, van traffic has increased 70% over the past 20 years compared with 17% for all traffic. The foundation has just published the results of a survey that show more than 7 in 10 (71%) British adults aged 16-75 say they have shopped online within the last three months. The average UK household now places around 2.5 online orders per month – the equivalent of roughly 31 per year.

This level of e-commerce has led in part to a marked decline in the number of journeys being made to the shops by car. While two thirds (66%) of adults say they use a personal vehicle to go in-store shopping at least once a week, more than one in six adults (17%) are now making less shopping trips in a personal vehicle than a year ago.

Of those making fewer trips:

• 23% say it is because they now shop more online
• 22% travel by other means
• 21% shop less overall
• 20% can’t afford to shop as much as they used to

The trends are revealed in survey data from Ipsos MORI, which was commissioned by the RAC Foundation to investigate online shopping habits.

Two in five adults (41%) say they buy their groceries online at least once a month.

More than four in five (83%) say they have used the internet at least once to buy clothing, footwear, books, CDs or DVDs. Almost four in five adults (79%) say they have bought electronics online, while for household appliances and furniture it is three quarters (74%) of adults.

Of those adults who shop online for these various items: 

• 23% use click and collect in store for clothing and footwear purchases
• 17% use click and collect in store for electronic goods
• 13% use click and collect in store for groceries
• 11% use click and collect in store for household appliances and furniture
• 9% use click and collect in store for books, CDs and DVDs

Of those adults who use click and collect methods:

• 53% say they do so because it allows them to collect items at a convenient time for them
• 51% say it means they do not have to be at home to receive a delivery
• 43% say it is cheaper than having items delivered somewhere
• 40% say it enables them to collect their goods whilst out and about doing other tasks

In 2015 an estimated 33.5 million British adults did some or all of their Christmas gift buying online, and one in six adults (17%) say they will buy more presents online this Christmas than they did last year.

Younger adults are more likely to shop online than their older counterparts. 69% of 16-24 year olds shop online at least once a month compared to 52% of those aged 45-54 and 46% aged 55-75.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Online shopping hasn’t quite become the norm, but most adults have now given it a go with many using it as the default option. The big question is what does this mean for traffic volumes? We know that increases in van traffic have far outpaced the more general growth in vehicle mileage. But why? Is this down to more home deliveries? Or something completely different, perhaps a rise in the number of small businesses that are starting up and are based not in an office but in the driving seat of a van? We have commissioned further research to get to the bottom of these questions. This will be published in full in the new year.”