Around 60% of shoppers have said they will stick to new shopping habits once the lockdown unwinds in the latest blow to the beleaguered high street, according to new research.

A study by e-commerce agency Melody has revealed that 92% of UK adults said they have changed their shopping habits due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shoppers said they have increased the amount of shopping done online after being forced to spend more time at home, the tracker study of 2,000 UK consumers said.

A quarter of Britons said they are buying items online they previously bought on the high street, while 13% said they are doing more online shopping during working hours.

For retailers as well as brand owners, it makes sense to accelerate their e-commerce strategies at speed and right now.

Shoppers said they plan to change their behaviour after the lockdown, with 15% saying they plan to do less shopping in the future.

A third of all people surveyed said they have done less shopping as a result of the lockdown.

Mark Burgess, business director at Melody, said: “Clearly we’re living through unprecedented times, but the lockdown has significantly impacted the UK’s retail landscape and our shopping habits.

“It’s hard to separate anticipated consumer intent from actual behaviour, but according to our research the shift to online retail looks here to stay.

“More people are trialling e-commerce in place of physical shopping – and many of them will enjoy the experience of shopping online and want to stick with it.

“It’s no surprise that companies that have never previously considered offering an e-commerce solution, or indeed needed to, are now trying to adapt their business models.

“For retailers as well as brand owners, it makes sense to accelerate their e-commerce strategies at speed and right now.”