Nearly half of all UK adults (44%) have earned extra money by selling goods or skills online, according to a new survey.
The survey of 1,000 adults in the UK, commissioned by ePages, also indicates that youngsters are driving the trend, with 54% of 25 to 34-years-old bracket selling online.
Furthermore, 36% said they would ‘consider trying’ online retail as an activity, and one in five felt that selling online was a way to achieve a better work/life balance (presumably the extra cash helps in terms of ensuring a bit more life, and a little less work).
And half of Britons would prefer to run an online store rather than a high street shop.
Almost one in three adults expects to add to their income by selling goods online on a regular basis, while 36 percent would consider trying ecommerce as an activity. For one in five people, selling online is viewed as a way to achieve life goals and a better work/life balance.
Wilfried Beeck, CEO of ePages, commented: “The survey suggests a high participation level – today a large proportion of Britons are both keen and confident to become online merchants whenever the need arises.
“Affordable cloud-driven software, popular online marketplaces and easy payment methods have done a remarkable job of democratising retail – enabling any level of computer user to advertise, communicate and transact online”.
The survey also shows that running an online store seems more popular than running a physical one. A quarter of respondents have considered setting up an online store and 50 percent would prefer to run solely an online store, while 27 percent would run both. Only 10 percent opted to run just a high street shop. Most respondents (43 percent) think an online shop alone is the way to sell the most, while 39 percent believes more in an omnichannel approach. Just 8 percent would choose to run a physical store alone.