BRITONS’ voracious appetite for an online bargain is eclipsed only by that of their German peers, a new survey of the world’s internet shopping habits has found.

The ACNielsen survey, to be be released this morning, has found that British online shoppers made an average of six purchases last month, above the European average of five transactions and more than 33 per cent higher than the average in the United States, the world’s biggest economy.

Only German consumers, hamstrung by tight shopping regulations that ban shops from opening late at night and on Sundays, buy products online more often than their British counterparts.

Germany also topped the list of the world’s leading internet-based consumer societies, with 97 per cent of respondents confirming that they had bought goods online.

Britain, where 95 per cent of survey respondents have shopped online, was ranked third behind Austria (96 per cent), but substantially above the US and Japan (both 89 per cent), the two nations that normally are quickest to embrace technological advances.

Bhawani Singh, ACNielsen’s managing director of consumer research in Europe, said that in America a trip to a shopping mall was often viewed as an enjoyable excursion. British consumers led the way on paying with debit cards, which accounted for 47 per cent of all payments. Credit cards dominate in the rest of the world.

ACNielsen’s twice-yearly Online Consumer Opinion Survey polled more than 21,000 regular internet-users in 38 countries. Books proved the most popular items, accounting for more than one in three transactions. Videos, DVDs and games accounted for a combined 22 per cent, airline tickets and reservations for 21 per cent and clothing, accessories and shoes for 20 per cent.

Mr Singh said that he expected growth in video and DVD purchases to outpace that of books, in line with internet- users’ increasingly youthful profile. Music, still in its formative stage as a commodity buyable online, was expected to soar from its present 18 per cent. British consumers bought videos and DVDs more often than any other country, but ranked outside the top ten book-buying nations and fifth for clothing, accessories and shoes. While Scandinavian countries boast higher internet penetration than Britain, “engagement” — use of the internet — is more advanced in the UK.

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