So, it seems that the expected footfall for high street retailers has faltered somewhat, perhaps driven by the present obstacles such as the growing driver shortage resulting in stock shortages. There has also been a problem in sourcing microchips for electrical goods which added to the problem for retailers.

Or has it?

Not for e-commerce retailer it would seem with online sales for stores selling items including computer and telecoms equipment soaring by 5%, showing shoppers were quick to return to the internet to beat High Street shortages.

We have seen 27.7% of all retail sales in August made online, that’s up from the 27.1% reported in July and to further highlight the scale of the growth of e-commerce, online took just 19.7% of overall sales in February 2020, before the pandemic hit the UK.

The shift in consumer behaviour is more than a blip - it's an acceptance of e-commerce as a normal way of purchasing good of all kind and is likely to be permanent and ever increasing as more and more e-commerce retailers join the party.