Promotional Feature
72% of respondents across the North West believe the High Street provides solace from isolation in survey by A-Plan in Wilmslow.
Across the North West:
- 94% think it's important to support local businesses
- 24% have bought something online they have later regretted because they didn't check the detail closely enough
- 35% have ended an online purchase because they couldn't speak to someone to solve their query
The biggest paradox of our increasingly connected lives with sofa based shopping, smartphones becoming ubiquitous and instant access to information on just about anything is that it could also be creating greater social isolation. This is the view of over half of the respondents from the North West (55%) to a new survey* looking at the flipside of our increasingly online world, conducted by A-Plan, the high street insurance broker with a branch in Wilmslow.
The good news is that local high streets such as Wilmslow where A-Plan is located are seen as the antidote. In the North West, 74% of people said that high street shops provide social interaction for people who might otherwise feel isolated – this figure rose to 80% in those respondents over 55. And in a further boost to traders on local high streets in the North West, the survey found that 94% feel it's important to support local businesses and 25% of people visit the high street once a week.
Simon Forrow, Branch Manager at A-Plan in Wilmslow explained: "It's 25 years since the world-wide-web was created, 20 years since the first 'online shop' and 15 years since the launch of eBay and as a business that is very focused on delivering a personal service, we wanted to gauge just how people feel about the online world we're living in.
"The internet has brought a huge level of convenience, we can shop, book tickets, check out what our friends are up to but we still need and want the human element on occasion and when that's missing it can lead to frustration and disappointment. 35% of the people we asked in the region admitted to ending an online purchase because they had a query and couldn't speak to anyone to solve it. And who bothers to read the terms and conditions in the haste to arrange a new motor policy or sort out the household insurance? Only 12% in the North West always do this. Perhaps not surprisingly, almost 1 in 4 (24%) said they have bought something online that they later regretted because they didn't check the detail closely enough.
"Buying insurance can sometimes be confusing, so the temptation to just go for a cheap deal and arrange it in a few clicks of the mouse is understandable. But if you talk to a local broker they will do the shopping around to find the best policy for your individual circumstances. A-Plan offers a face-to-face service, which allows our clients to ask questions and talk things through to help them make an informed decision. We are here to support local people and Wilmslow-based businesses by providing a personalised service, designed to help them find the protection they need."
*National Survey of 2000 consumers across the UK conducted July 2014.
North West Findings
- 55% fear greater isolation developing within society as more services are driven online
- 71% believe high street shops help people feel less isolated
- 94% think it's important to support local businesses
- Only 12% always read all the terms and conditions when purchasing online
- 24% have bought something online they have later regretted because they didn't check the detail closely enough
- 35% have ended an online purchase because they couldn't speak to someone to solve their query
National Findings:
- 57% fear greater isolation developing within society as more services are driven online
- 74% believe high street shops help people feel less isolated
- 91% think it's important to support local businesses
- Only 14% always read all the terms and conditions when purchasing online
- 26% have bought something online they have later regretted because they didn't check the detail closely enough
- 39% have ended an online purchase because they couldn't speak to someone to solve their query
A-Plan Holdings is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. It is also a member of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA).
Branch Manager: Simon Forrow
Branch Address: 9-11 Rex Buildings, Alderley Road, Wilmslow SK9 1NZ
Telephone: 01625 460630
