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… but don’t ‘drink and click’ when shopping in the wee small hours

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An estimated two million people in the UK have shopped online after drinking, with mobile phones making it easier than ever to drink, click and buy. Among the best drunken purchases admitted to in the survey are a new car, expensive holidays, exotic animals and even a didgeridoo or two.

The study by online marketplace Flubit.com, finds that one in 20 people have bought goods online after consuming alcohol. The revealing figures follow recent data from ONS showing that the amount of money consumers spend online has risen by almost 20% in just a year – although that can’t all be attributed to the drink.

It is also pertinent in light of Hitwise data showing that much of the Black Friday shopping frenzy last year took place from midnight to 2am at the start of Black Friday.

The UK’s growing love of online and mobile shopping is supported by Flubit’s study, which found that the average adult now spends more than two hours a week browsing for goods online.

Among the most bizarre drunken purchases revealed in the study were a didgeridoo, a plastic croaking frog, two turtles and a snake.

The most expensive drunken purchase was a £6,500 Volvo, with other costly transactions including a £1,700 return flight to the USA and a £300 personalised number-plate.

Many of the purchases revealed in the study were music-themed and included a VHS of Take That’s Greatest Hits, a cardboard cut-out of Britney Spears and a VIP ticket to see American artist Jason Derulo.

According to Flubit.com’s data, the most popular time for late night purchases is the early hours of Sunday morning, with the total number of demands between 3am and 4am trebling most other days of the week.

Tia Saunders, spokesperson for Flubit.com, says: “The convenience of online and mobile shopping and vast amount of choice available has seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour, with time traditionally spent in stores now being spent online. Shoppers can purchase almost anything from the comfort of their own home, day or night. While this makes life easier, our study shows that it can occasionally lead to regrettable purchases. We would advise people to avoid ‘drinking and shopping’ where possible, but if you’re going to do it, make sure you’re using websites or apps which offer you the best deals.”

After the survey, Flubit.com, which creates cheaper prices for consumers compared to the best Amazon price, decided to look at their own early morning purchases, and found a potential ‘similar’ trend.

During the early hours, Flubit.com users have been seen to purchase a lion mane wig (for pets), a 50kg kitchen sink and instant underpants. Although Flubit.com state that despite these oddities, they cannot confirm these users were intoxicated… we’ll just have to hope they were.

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