Londoners are not getting carried away with the fast-changing nature of retail compared with internet users around the globe, new research has shown.
Research from Ericsson found that an increase in people using smartphones to pay for goods and services was leading to a second shift of consumers calling on the help of 'digital shopping assistants'.
But compared to cities around the world, London was less keen on adopting this new tech.
Only 27 per cent of Londoners said they would use a digital shopping assistant to plan big purchases like furniture and cars, compared to 39 per cent worldwide.
And over a third (37 per cent) of people in the UKs capital said they would use a restocking assistant to buy products without their involvement, whilst the figures stood at 46 per cent globally.
The research by Ericsson also stated that Londoners were not keen on taking fashion advice from a digital assistant, as only 32 per cent from the city said they would use one compared to 47 per cent elsewhere.
"While fascinating in their own right, fast-changing consumer shopping behaviours are important to understand for anyone involved in 5G, smart homes, consumer Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence," said Michael Björn, Head of Research at Ericsson Consumer & IndustryLab.
"Brits – as well as other North Europeans – have a reputation for thinking about both pros and cons with new technology. This will likely push innovators to develop digital retail services with a high degree of maturity. But once Londoners start employing AI to automate everyday purchasing, this will rapidly create demand for IoT enabled sensors as well as a need for people to connect appliances in their homes."
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