Four in 10 people said they are now doing more shopping through digital channels in order to avoid shops during the pandemic, up from 16% just two weeks ago.

One-third of shoppers said they are now buying products online they had previously purchased exclusively in physical stores.

But according to research from Retail Economics and law firm Squire Patton Boggs, consumers are often having trouble completing online orders.

A third of respondents said they had experienced technical issues on retailers’ websites and could not purchase what they needed as a result. A further 11% said they found the online shopping experience “frustrating” but were ultimately able to buy what they needed.