DPD Group has conducted a study into the shopping preferences among those in the age group 18-25 in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK. The research highlights the differing issues people of the different nations have in online shopping, which seems to be compounded by their national economic situation.

The market research by delivery company DPD Group, is said to “reveal deeper insights on behaviours and expectations of European 18-25 generation for online shopping”. The research looked at “the different usages, attitudes and expectations related to online shopping of 18-25 year olds in France, Germany, UK, Spain and Poland.”

Spain and Poland are both nations that are hampered economically. Poland is still emerging from its decades under Communism and Spain is recovering from the economic crash that nearly bankrupted the government.

The analysis of Spain was that the economic situation has hampered young people’s ability to go online shopping. However, with so many at home there is always someone at home to receive deliveries. As such there is little necessity to take advantage of locker or click and collect services.

Poland however seems to prefer locker or click and collect services. Its young people have “positive experiences with the locker system as a way of managing the time of delivery.”

The UK, Germany and France all fared better in the European financial crisis and their young people are generally better off. German young shoppers are always looking for the best deal: “A shopping culture marked by the invention of the discount category (e.g. Lidl) leading to a strong desire to find the best deal.”

For French shoppers “Young people lack motivation to manage administrative tasks related to online shopping. Therefore they are willing to give up the multiple services offered by merchant sites.”

And for UK shoppers, the country has “a culture of high-street shopping that coincides with the high prevalence of online shopping in daily life and the importance of the social link”.