Brits call for more retailers to embrace digital receipts

Retailers are being urged to make it easier for customers to receive digital receipts, on the back of a new study which shows that, with the cost of living crisis leading to more returns, paper receipts could be costing Britons dearly.

The study, carried out by Yocuda, has found that 65% of UK shoppers have lost a receipt they needed to make a return or exchange. Generation Z consumers are the worst “receipt offenders”, with 74% of those aged 18 to 35 stating this occurs often.

Beyond returns, almost eight in ten shoppers (77%) said they had thrown away a receipt that they meant to keep hold of, leaving almost half annoyed at themselves for the mishap (49%) and a quarter feeling frustrated or irritated (27%).

In fact, nearly half (48%) admit they throw receipts straight into their wallet, purse or pocket or leave them in the shopping bag (28%), with only 26% filing them for their records.

So-called paperless receipts were first launched over a decade ago, amid claims they would open up a new marketing opportunity for the UK’s retail sector, enabling shops to build a highly detailed picture of customer purchases – and then email them relevant offers.

Digital receipts are still on the rise, however, with 75% of UK shoppers having been offered one in store. Shoppers are calling out for more digital receipts, with 62% wanting more retailers to offer the option – rising to 77% and 80% for those aged 18 to 25 and 26 to 35 respectively.

In fact, nearly half of shoppers (47%) said they would be more likely to shop with a retailer if they made it easy to receive a digital receipt.

In fact, three-fifths (60%) of shoppers prefer digital receipts as they are less likely to lose them compared with paper receipts, while 45% find digital receipts easier to store in their email inbox, 38% highlighted the ease of digital receipts when making returns, and 24% emphasised the better access to customer services through digital receipts.

Interestingly from a retailers’ perspective, almost half of shoppers (47%) said that if a QR code was available to scan to access their digital receipt it would make them more likely to choose them over paper – rising to 68% in those aged 18 to 25 and 60% for 26 to 35 year olds. Over a third of shoppers highlighted it was more convenient to input their own email address (37%).

Yocuda chief executive Edward Drax said: “We’ve all been there, scrambling around in shopping bags or rooting through coat pockets to find that receipt you need to return your most recent purchase. It’s a nuisance that, in this current age of digital, we can do without and the data from UK shoppers suggests; they agree.

“Shoppers are calling for flexibility and choice in all areas of shopping and receipts are no different. Shoppers appreciate the convenience, accessibility and ease of using digital receipts. Though many retailers are starting to embrace digital receipts, this data is a call to arms for more retailers to get on board, particularly for the new generation of shoppers.”

According to a separate study Eyos Retail, there are marked differences in the take-up of digital receipts across different industries. While some industries, such as fashion, are ahead of the curve in ditching paper receipts, others, such as food and beverage companies, have been much slower to adopt the new technology.

The survey found that 76% of the stores analysed offer paper receipts. A high percentage (84%) offer digital receipts, while 60% give customers the option of both paper and digital receipts.

The research found that 4 in 25 stores (16%) now provide customers with paper receipts only. Interestingly, a greater percentage (24%) of stores have started to rely exclusively on digital receipts.